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Letter to the editor

Winn-Dixie closing will alter routines

Gulfport City residents may have to leave town in orderto shop for groceries.

By Nick Johnson, Times Staff Writer
Published February 13, 2008

Convenient grocery shopping for Gulfport residents, especially those who walk, may be coming to an end.

The Winn-Dixie at Gulfport Boulevard S and 49th Street S is scheduled to close at the end of the month, leaving the town with no major grocery store to speak of.

According to a statement released by the Jacksonville company, the decision will coincide with the end of its lease and employees will be placed at other store locations if possible.

"We were all aware that they would be closing at some point when their original lease had run out a year or two ago," City Manager Tom Brobeil said. "Everybody knew it was going to happen, but we didn't know when."

The chain announced last year that it would begin updating its existing stores, spending about $2-million each, but the aging location is not up to modern size standards.

The decision was likely based on the numbers, Brobeil said.

"There is a lot of renewal and replacement that would need to be done," he said, adding that he had heard reports that the store was experiencing problems with freezers and other equipment.

Finding a replacement for the store is likely to be a top concern for the City Council.

"I know we have a lot of people who walk to that store and rely on it every day," council member Bob Worthington said.

The shopping center also is centrally located. Once it closes, the closest supermarket options will be one town over, in South Pasadena's shopping centers, which is about a 21/2-mile hike.

Hadi Adams, the shopping center owner, said a number of parties had shown interest in the property but that there were no concrete plans.

Worthington said the council likely would try to take a proactive approach in attracting a new supermarket.

But as Brobeil pointed out, the final decision will be made by the property owner and the market.

"We all knew we were in some pretty big trouble in that area, because having a nice food store in the area is key for the city."

Nick Johnson can be reached at nickjohnson@sptimes.com or 893-8361.

[Last modified February 12, 2008, 23:38:46]