South Florida’s retail leasing market in 2025 was shaped by the expansion of grocery stores and fitness centers, despite broader market trends of lower rents and higher vacancies. An analysis by The Real Deal found that the largest leases were primarily in Miami-Dade County, with Whole Foods Market signing the year’s biggest deal for a 60,000-square-foot space at Triarch Capital Group’s Aventura Town Plaza.
Triarch Capital Group, led by Daniel Halberstein, Mario Grosfeld, Stefan Grosfeld and Jorge Linkewer, owns the shopping center located between 18205 and 18299 Biscayne Boulevard. According to Commercial Observer, Whole Foods entered a 20-year lease with options for six five-year extensions.
BJ’s Wholesale Market secured the second-largest lease, taking over 53,000 square feet for its BJ’s Market concept at Marketplace of Delray on South Military Trail in Delray Beach. This location will be only the second BJ’s Market store. The company plans further expansion into other states.
Beauty Master signed a lease for 47,200 square feet at Cross County Plaza in West Palm Beach. The Georgia-based beauty retailer operates more than 13 locations across Georgia and Florida. Cross County Plaza is owned by entities managed by Bernardo Kohn and Paul Pollack. After purchasing the complex for $35 million in 2014 using a $32 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan, a loan default in 2020 led to legal disputes between the owners and their special servicer.
Publix added to its network with a new 46,800-square-foot lease at Sunrise Town Center on North University Drive in Sunrise. In addition to leasing space, Publix has been active in acquiring retail properties throughout South Florida.
Akira leased 41,400 square feet at the former Forever 21 site on Lincoln Road. Akira is owned by Eric Hsueh, Erikka Wang, Sarah Hughes and Gordon Liao. Both this property and Akira’s previous location are under Michael Comras’ Comras Company ownership. Comras recently invested $140 million in an 11-parcel Lincoln Road portfolio which he plans to redevelop as NoLi (North Lincoln), aiming for a new shopping district.
BrandsMart USA renewed its lease for 40,000 square feet at Shoppes at Dadeland in Kendall. BrandsMart is known as a big box retailer offering home goods and electronics.
Slick City Action Park signed for another large retail space—40,000 square feet—at Westland Promenade in Hialeah. Founded in 2021 by CEO Bron Launsby and based in Chesterfield, Missouri, Slick City operates multiple indoor slide parks nationally.
Gym chain EōS Fitness agreed to a similar-sized lease at Palms at Town & Country in Kendall. EōS Fitness is headquartered in Dallas and operates over 150 gyms across several states.
Crunch Fitness expanded with two significant leases: one for 38,200 square feet at Pompano Plaza and another for 37,000 square feet at Crystal Lake Shopping Center in Homestead. CR Fitness Holdings LLC manages these franchises; Crystal Lake Shopping Center was acquired by Jose Chacalo Hilu from MMG Equity Partners for $22.7 million in 2020.
These leases reflect ongoing demand from health-oriented retailers and essential service providers even as broader retail markets face challenges.
