Since late May, the corner of County Road 486 and County Road 491 in Lecanto has gained a grocery store, a gym, a beauty retailer, a diner and a candle shop. Over the next three weeks it picks up a 136,980-square-foot Home Depot and a LongHorn Steakhouse. A wholesale club with its own gas station is due this winter. Each of those openings has been reported separately. Taken together, they show where Citrus County's weekly errands are heading.
The Chronicle has already said as much. It called the Shoppes at Black Diamond "quickly becoming one of Lecanto's bigger shopping destinations." In a later story it described CR 486 as a corridor "quickly becoming one of Citrus County's busiest commercial areas." This guide covers what's open there as of October 9, 2026, what has a date, and what has only been announced.
Two Plazas Becoming One District
Two developments sit side by side here. The Shoppes at Black Diamond is the older one. It's anchored by Target, and the Chronicle has reported Aldi, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks and Panera Bread open there. Next door is Summit View at CORTA Commons, built by CORTA Developments near the northwest corner of CR 491 and CR 486.
CORTA principal Cory Presnick told the Citrus County Chronicle that the roads in the two plazas will connect. He also said CORTA has more projects lined up directly to the west. Once the roads connect, a Target run and a Sprouts run turn into one parking trip.
Here is where each business stands as of October 9, 2026, based on the most recent company pages and Chronicle reporting available:
| Business | Address | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sprouts Farmers Market | 3209 W. Norvell Bryant Hwy. | Open since May 29, 2026 |
| Metro Diner | 3351 W. Norvell Bryant Hwy. | Open, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily |
| Bath & Body Works | 3257 County Road 486 | Open |
| Planet Fitness | 3317 W. Norvell Bryant Hwy. | Open |
| Ulta Beauty | 3233 W. Norvell Bryant | Open, grand-opening promotion through Oct. 18 |
| Home Depot | SR 44 at Kensington Ave. | Opening Oct. 15 |
| LongHorn Steakhouse | 3237 County Road 486 | Scheduled for Oct. 26 |
| BJ's Wholesale Club | Summit View at CORTA Commons | "Opening this winter" |
| Five Below, America's Best Eyeglasses & Contacts, Dollar Tree, Kay Jewelers, Heartland Dental, Mattress Warehouse, Chase Bank | Summit View at CORTA Commons | Announced tenants; opening dates not confirmed |
What Has Opened Since May
Sprouts started the current wave. According to the company's press release, the Lecanto store opened Friday, May 29, with a 6:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting and doors opening at 7 a.m. Most of the newer openings cluster around it.
Metro Diner is the first Lecanto location for the chain. The building is 3,710 square feet, with 134 seats inside and 24 on the patio. Managing Partner Melissa Deskins owns and runs it. The menu covers omelets, pancakes, barbecue ribs and the Fried Chicken & Waffle, plus the Iron City Meatloaf that was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for now. The restaurant plans to add dinner service and stay open until 8 p.m.
Bath & Body Works opened at 3257 County Road 486, next to Sprouts. As the Chronicle's Comings & Goings column put it, "you can now get your three-wick candle fix without leaving Citrus County." That line sums up why the corridor matters. Errands that used to mean a longer drive can now stay on CR 486.
Planet Fitness lists its Lecanto club at 3317 W. Norvell Bryant Hwy. Ulta Beauty's grand openings page lists the Lecanto store at 3233 W. Norvell Bryant, with a grand-opening promotion running Sept. 18 through Oct. 18. Anyone who wants the opening offers has about nine days left.
Two October Dates: Oct. 15 and Oct. 26
The Chronicle's late-summer column could only say that Home Depot would open "sometime this fall." The chain had been hiring for weeks without naming a date. The date is now set. Home Depot representative Jack Feenick told the Chronicle the store at the northeast corner of State Road 44 and Kensington Avenue opens Oct. 15. He said it is one of 12 Home Depot stores opening this year.
The store's size matters more than the date. At 136,980 square feet, it's about 32,000 square feet bigger than a typical Home Depot, which runs about 105,000 square feet indoors. Home Depot built a larger-than-average store at this corner, which suggests the company expects plenty of customers there.
The store sits on SR 44, not CR 486. Still, it adds to the same story: Lecanto is where the county's big-box openings are landing this year. The Chronicle also reported that the opening came after "major road improvements surrounding the site."
Eleven days later, LongHorn Steakhouse is scheduled to open at 3237 County Road 486, near Sprouts. The Chronicle headline that announced the deal called it the chain's first Citrus County restaurant. Oct. 26 is a scheduled date, and restaurant openings sometimes slip, so it's worth checking before you go.
BJ's Has the Loosest Timeline
BJ's Wholesale Club is the largest piece of the project still under construction. A gas station is going in on the same site. The Chronicle reported that both are part of Summit View at CORTA Commons and are "targeted to open in winter 2026." BJ's own Lecanto club page says only "Opening this winter in Lecanto." A May 22, 2026 company press release lists Lecanto among the clubs scheduled for the company's fiscal 2026, without a specific date.
Until BJ's announces a day, "this winter" is all anyone can say.
The other tenants CORTA announced also lack dates. Those are Five Below, America's Best Eyeglasses & Contacts, Dollar Tree, Kay Jewelers, Heartland Dental, Mattress Warehouse and Chase Bank. Announced doesn't mean open. Their storefronts are the next ones to watch.
The Rest of the County Is Changing Too
Chain stores are clustering in Lecanto. Meanwhile, the county's downtowns keep adding independent and regional restaurants, often in buildings that already have a history.
- Artman's Smokehouse, 301 W. Main St., Inverness. This barbecue restaurant was scheduled to open Sept. 1 in the former Angelo's Pizzeria & Ristorante space. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
- Hometown Deli, 103 N. Apopka Ave., Inverness. The deli closed in April after an explosion at Storm Distillery next door. It planned to reopen Aug. 31, with regular hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting Sept. 8.
- Mariana's Italian Restaurant, 744 S.E. U.S. 19, Crystal River. It took over the former Lollygaggers Pub & Grill space. Owners Thomas and Doris Faherty also run Mariana's The Stinky Rose in Pine Ridge.
- Heckle & Jeckles, 760 W. Hampshire Blvd., Citrus Springs. It serves New York-style bagels, deli fare and cheesesteaks.
- Palms of India, 2448 N. Heritage Oaks Path, Hernando. This family-owned restaurant in Heritage Hills Plaza serves North Indian dishes from a clay tandoor oven.
Not every change is an opening. Nine State Brewery closed its downtown Inverness taproom at 200 Tompkins St. after about seven years.
Inverness is also getting a grocery option that doesn't require a drive to Lecanto. Aldi confirmed its first Inverness store is on track to open by the end of the year at 1202 W. Main St. That's the former Winn-Dixie building, which closed Feb. 1, 2026. The company expects to hire 15 to 20 people and says it will announce the grand-opening date once it's set.
Getting There Without the Car
CR 486 has a multi-use trail. The Chronicle reports that the county has invested in trail improvements and three trailheads along the roughly 13-mile stretch. The westernmost trailhead is at CR 486 and Shimmer Terrace, near Meadowcrest. If you live near the trail, the new stores on this corner are within reach by bike.
New stores and restaurants are one more thing people weigh when they think about where to live next. If you're curious how this growth along CR 486 fits your own plans in Citrus County, David Latscha with Harness Horizon Ventures LLC is happy to talk through it with you. Let's Connect.
