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Mall Publix store to move across street
Grocery chain plans relocation into former Alberston’s store on 113th Street
By BOB McCLURE
Article published on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 |
SEMINOLE – Months of rumors have now become reality. Lakeland-based Publix Supermarkets announced plans last week to close its store in the Seminole Mall and relocate it across the street at the site of a former Albertson’s grocery store at 7880 113th St. N. The target date is early 2009.
The Seminole Mall store uses about 47,000 square feet and the Albertson’s site is about 59,000 square feet, said Mark Ely, community development director for the city of Seminole.
The move was made possible when Publix purchased 49 Albertson’s stores across Florida on June 9. No information was available on the future of other former Albertson’s stores in the area.
“The former Albertson’s store across the street will go through a closed store remodel,” said Maria Brous, director of communications for Publix. “When the new location (former Albertson’s store) opens we will close the existing Publix location (in the mall).”
What will happen to the current Publix location in the mall once the grocery chain moves out remains to be seen.
Officials at RMC Management Group, which leases space in the mall, and the attorney for the mall owners did not return calls last week.
One thing is certain, residents of Seminole Garden Apartments and Freedom Square, who shop regularly at the Publix store in the mall, will have a tougher time reaching the former Albertson’s site.
“One of the deepest concerns we have as a city is our residents crossing six lanes of traffic on 113th Street from Seminole Gardens to get to the store,” said Seminole Mayor Jimmy Johnson. “We need to come up with a plan so people can safely cross the highway. There is a lot of traffic and there will be people trying to get across the street in walkers and wheelchairs.”
Johnson said a walkway over the street would be prohibitive in cost to build and a traffic light would be about $350,000.
Mike Mason, executive director of Freedom Square, said if necessary, the retirement facility would provide additional services, such as shuttle bus transportation, to the new site.
“We should be able to accommodate our residents with our shuttle buses,” Mason said. “It will bring on some additional inconvenience but it’s not something we shouldn’t be able to handle.”
Publix is one of four anchor stores in the mall. Other anchors include K-mart, Beall’s department store and Steinmart.
The 39.3-acre property was sold to Downtown Seminole LLC in December 2006 for $35.7 million.
The mall, which includes 2,064 parking spaces and the Seminole 8 movie theater, was built in 1965 and renovated in 1992.
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Article published on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008
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