By Kathie Stamps
What are they building on Balm Road at US 301? A new retail center and it is expected to be up and running by next summer. The Ferber Company, a privately held real estate development and investment company, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, has built several projects in Hillsborough County, but this is its first in the Riverview area.
“We’ve long monitored the fast growth of this area and knew this would be a great opportunity for more retail development when the property became available,” said Ryan Plate, Ferber vice president of development services for central and southwest Florida. “South Hillsborough County has seen exceptional residential growth over the years, and our clients in the project will help serve the daily needs of the nearby community.”
The Riverview retail project is on 15.5 acres at the southeast corner of US 301 and Balm Road. Plate noted the limited retail options to the south of this property for roughly a four-mile stretch of US 301, “so this project will help fill in some of that gap and allow residents to avoid the already very busy intersection at Big Bend Road,” he said.
The retail center will consist of a total of six outparcels, all retail, no office space. Tenants are expected to open in mid-2026, and they will include Dutch Bros, Discount Tire, a car wash, a self-storage facility and two quick-service restaurants.
Dutch Bros Inc. is a company of drive-thru shops. Founded in 1992 to serve espresso, the menu has expanded over the years to offer smoothies, lemonade and sparkling soda, along with chai lattes and other coffee drinks. Based in Grants Pass, Oregon, Dutch Bros has over 1,000 locations in 19 states, including 18 stores in Florida. There’s one in Sun City Center and one in Tampa.
Photos provided by the Ferber Company
Summer 2025 view of Balm Road at Hwy 301 prior to construction of new retail center
Discount Tire has 16 locations in Florida, mostly in and around Orlando. Founded in 1960 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Discount Tire moved its headquarters to Arizona a decade later. Today, the company operates 1,200 locations across 39 states.
Formed in 1907, the Ferber Company is in its fourth generation of family leadership. Frederick V. Ferber Sr. started Ferber Construction Co. 118 years ago in New Jersey. His sons, Frederick Jr. and Paul L. Ferber, were involved in the business and then Paul grew it into real estate development in the early 1960s. In 1999, the Ferber Company moved to Florida, and Paul S. Ferber, the third generation, took the helm. His son, Shields Ferber, has been president since 2004. The company’s commercial real estate projects are found up and down the Eastern Seaboard and beyond.
“Our Balm Road project is a great example of how we strive to find appropriate locations for our clients that will meet their needs but also those of the community,” Plate said of the Ferber Company project in Riverview. “We strive to do things the right way and to always build a quality product.”