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The Kash n' Karry will take over space formerly occupied by Ace Hardware.
By ANDREW MEACHAM
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 6, 2001
An ambitious remodeling plan swings into action Monday for the Kash n' Karry store at Skyway Plaza.
The store at 955 62nd Ave. S will add liquor and seafood sections, said spokeswoman Wendy Melton of Delhaize America, the corporation that owns Kash n' Karry. Renovations will expand the store by 69 feet to the west, into space formerly occupied by Ace Hardware, which has moved to 34th Street S.
The expansion firmly establishes the store as the second largest grocery south of Central Avenue. The Albertsons at 3030 54th Ave. S, which is also expanding, will remain the largest.
With two substantial expansions of groceries in the greater Pinellas Point area, shoppers there will have three choices of major grocers, including the Publix at Bay Pointe Plaza, 5295 34th St. S.
The Kash n' Karry renovations mark the latest twist in an ongoing saga of changing fortunes of groceries in the broad area south of Central Avenue. In what some neighbors called a blow to neighborhood morale, the Publix store at Coquina Key Plaza closed last year. Discount merchant Save-A-Lot has since moved into the space at 4350 Sixth St. S.
In November 2000, a Food Lion at 2900 34th Ave. S closed its doors after 11 years.
"This redevelopment at least softens the blow," said City Council member James Bennett. Residents who live closer to the Skyway Plaza Kash n' Karry will feel less need to travel to other stores, he said.