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Grocery squashes Lealman rumors
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
LEALMAN -- Officials from Publix say they are not interested in building a grocery as a focal point for a proposed shopping center. The news came in an e-mail last week to Ray Neri, president of the Lealman Community Association. Neri had written the grocery giant a note, telling the chain's president that the Lealman community would welcome a new store. The return letter was one paragraph. "All it said was thanks for your inquiry or something, but at this time we're not interested in placing a store in that area," Neri said. The news was disappointing, he said, because "Publix is like the flagship of grocery stores." Neri said he is keeping his hopes up because Clearwater developer Bill Johnson has said he's negotiating with several grocery stores. "It's still a good place to put one," Neri said of the site, 2500 54th Ave. N. Johnson did not return a phone message asking for comment. Rumors about a new Publix began bouncing around unincorporated Lealman a couple of months ago after Johnson approached the county for a zoning change on the property, which now houses the Palace Mobile Home Park. The zoning must be changed to retail from residential to build the center. Earlier this month, Johnson came to the community association to show his concept for the property: a shopping district called the Lealman Center, anchored by a grocery. He asked for, and received, community support for his plans. Johnson, who has negotiated other grocery deals, said the site was perfect for a new food store. Such supermarkets generally pull their customers from a 2-mile radius, and there is no other grocery within 2 miles of the 54th Avenue-Haines Road location. About 50,000 shoppers reside in that zone, Johnson said. Johnson told community association members that he had a contract on the property, but it will not change hands unless he gets the zoning change. That will likely go before the Pinellas County Commission in July 2003 for final approval. If it's granted, the land would change ownership in September. After that, the 90 trailers would be moved and the 29 residents who own their mobile homes would receive help, Johnson said earlier this month. Then construction could begin. From groundbreaking to opening could take about nine months, he said, meaning the new store could open in June 2004.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
