PINELLAS PARK – The City Council approved plans Aug. 9 for the construction of an addition to the Mainlands Shopping Center on U.S. 19 that will house a new Aldi Foods discount food market.
Aldi, with 850 stores nationwide, expects to open 25 locations throughout central Florida. The Pinellas Park store is the first of two slated for the city.
The second store will be located at 67800 66th St. The U.S. 19 operation will not be in operation until about October 2008.
The City Council, meanwhile, approved plans to build the 9,672-square-foot addition. A variance was required to reduce the number of parking spaces from 278 to 252.
Wylie Klyce, Aldi’s director of real estate, said the store will stock a limited assortment of food goods. He described the new store as a “no frills” operation where people bag their own groceries. Klyce said goods will be sold at about half of what they cost in established super markets.
The council also approved a measure to allow for the expansion of an auto dealership.
Sutherlin Imports won permission to expand Autoway Toyota at 8501 U.S. 19 by replacing an existing showroom. The operations of two body shop buildings will be moved to an off site location in an industrial area at 5443 115th Ave. A three-story building at the U.S. 19 location will replace the present body shop facilities.
The plans received the blessings of the Golden Gate Homeowners Association whose mobile home park is near the operation.
The council also approved plans for the construction of a 20,920-square-foot addition to an existing manufacturing plant operated by Durability Inc. at 6250 82nd Ave. The addition will be used for the storage of materials.
Approved also is the purchase by the police department of $10,243 worth of ammunition from Florida Bullet Inc. of Clearwater. Police also were authorized to purchase $6,432 worth of SWAT medical equipment from various vendors. The purchases will be made with Confiscated Property Fund moneys.
The council also approved a $17,448 expenditure, to be paid in $4,362 quarterly payments as its share of the Business Assistance Partnership Agreement with the Pinellas Park/Gateway Chamber of Commerce.
Councilman Rick Butler was appointed to another three-year term to the board of directors of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. Appointed to the Code Enforcement Board to fill the expired term of George Race is Robert Hightower.
The council also approved annexations at 6743 92nd Ave. and 6867 124th Ave.
