The grocery store at 211 Wheelhouse Lane was supposed to be a Lucky's Market. That Colorado-based chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January 2020 and closed its Orlando locations. Winn-Dixie's parent company, Southeastern Grocers, picked up the Lake Mary building as one of four former Lucky's properties. The new Winn-Dixie opened on December 9, 2020, and it came with something no Winn-Dixie in the Orlando area had before. Shoppers could order a beer at the taproom.

It is easy to read the taproom as a store perk. The City of Lake Mary treats it as an obligation. It sits in the developer's agreement for the Griffin Farms at Midtown planned unit development. In May 2026, the City Commission voted unanimously to keep it there, even though that cost the city an ALDI.

A former Lucky's with eight beers on tap

When the store opened, Austin Fuller's report, reposted by Unicorp, said the taproom would offer eight beers, 11 wines, and hot and iced coffee. The Lake Mary store was one of seven Winn-Dixie locations with a taproom at that point. The first had opened as a test in Neptune Beach two years earlier. The same report said the deli would carry specialty cheeses, fresh sushi, take-and-bake pizzas, a sandwich station and plant-based proteins made in the store. It also said produce would include more than 100 organic items.

At the time, Eddie Garcia of Southeastern Grocers explained that the company wanted these converted Lucky's sites to give customers specialty offerings along with a full grocery trip. He told the reporter, "We want to make sure that we fit into the community."

At the May 2026 hearing, Community Development Director Sabreena Colbert said Winn-Dixie itself had proposed the prototype store with the taproom and cafe concept. She added that the city has multiple PUD zoning districts with detailed requirements, and that it enforces them.

What ALDI asked the city to make optional

The request came in as case 2025-RZ-03. It proposed a Third Amendment to the Griffin Farms at Midtown PUD Developer's Agreement that would "make certain uses optional and not required for a proposed ALDI Grocery Store located at 211 Wheelhouse Ln." The Planning & Zoning Board scheduled it for a public hearing on March 10, 2026. From there it went to the City Commission twice.

At the April 2 meeting, ALDI's attorney said the grocer would not run a taproom or a liquor store. Mayor David Mealor said the taproom and its experiential component were central to the vision for the development. The minutes say the Commission stressed keeping an activation or gathering element on the site. Commissioners said they were open to alternatives, but they wanted something stronger than seasonal sampling. The Sanford Herald's recap of that meeting said commissioners and members of the public both described the gathering element as essential to the development's vision.

ALDI's May 14 letter put a more detailed offer on the table. Shopping carts that now sit outside along the storefront and in the parking lot would move indoors, and signage would be smaller than code and the PUD allow. On top of that, ALDI offered to do one of the following:

• Make a one-time financial contribution or paid sponsorship for a project the city chose
• Put in-store graphics highlighting Lake Mary, such as Little League, events or buildings, with city approval of the designs
• Install a permanent, unmanned shelving set for seasonal charcuterie, open whenever the store is open

Why the vote turned on the deal and not the beer

By May 21, alcohol was no longer the question. City Attorney Darren Elkind asked whether ALDI would drop only the alcohol requirement and still keep a restaurant, coffee shop or some other amenity beyond a standard grocery store. ALDI's attorney said that would not be possible. Commissioner Carlin asked about bringing in a third-party vendor to run the space. Staff said ALDI was firmly against it.

The commissioners then stated their reasons on the record, and they matched. Deputy Mayor Taylor called the request an attempt to remove a negotiated benefit from the original agreement with Winn-Dixie. She said the Commission's concern had always been losing an amenity inside the grocery store, not alcohol. Commissioner Smith said the city was being asked to give up a negotiated PUD commitment without getting a meaningful public benefit in return. Commissioner York said the city had negotiated for a unique grocery experience and the proposal offered nothing comparable.

The minutes also show that Winn-Dixie never raised written concerns about serving alcohol, insurance or licensing. The store had been living under the requirement without asking for relief. ALDI held its first-step meeting with city staff only after it had already filed a building permit application to convert the store. Commissioner Carlin moved to deny, Commissioner York seconded, and the vote was 5-0.

Precedent was part of the discussion from the beginning. Back in April, Elkind said zoning decisions are project-specific, but broader implications could follow depending on what the Commission found. He also confirmed there could be legal risk if an amendment conflicted with the city's Comprehensive Plan. Lake Mary has several PUD districts with detailed requirements. Letting one tenant swap out a negotiated amenity for a charcuterie shelf would have set the terms for the next request, wherever it came from.

What 211 Wheelhouse Lane looks like this fall

The Winn-Dixie is still there. In October 2026, the chain's official store page lists the Griffin Farm Shopping Plaza location as open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and "Taproom" still appears among its services, along with sushi and the deli. The City of Lake Mary's Development Dashboard lists the Griffin Farm PUD Amendment as "Denied." As of this writing, the city record shows no new application or appeal for the site.

The rest of Wheelhouse Lane keeps changing around the store. Ideal Nutrition, which sells chef-prepared grab-and-go meals, opened at 242 Wheelhouse Lane in the spring and held its grand opening on July 8, 2026.

Seminole County saw the same chain change come out differently a few miles away. In Longwood, the old Winn-Dixie at 434 Center is being split, with ALDI taking half the building. The Lake Mary store stayed whole because the agreement that let it open spelled out what had to be inside. Two hearings and a unanimous vote later, a grocery store built in a former Lucky's still has a taproom because the zoning requires one.

If you want to know what a PUD developer's agreement requires on the land around your Lake Mary home, or how it might come up when you sell, The Mel Bernstein Team would be glad to go through it with you. Let's Connect.