Albertson's to remodel Seville Square store

The supermarket will add a Starbucks Coffee and a new liquor store, as well as change the floor plan.

By SHARON BOND

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 30, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Albertsons grocery at Seville Square is scheduled for major renovation, beginning in late September or early October. The work will be done in phases so the store can remain open.

The grocery at 3030 54th Ave. S will add a Starbucks Coffee Bar and build a new liquor store, adding 4,200 square feet to the existing 54,700 square feet, according to Anne Alenskis, a spokeswoman at the company's headquarters in Boise, Idaho.

"It's a major remodeling. We're moving the pharmacy to the front of the store. It will almost look like a free-standing shop of its own," Alenskis said.

Residents in the neighborhoods south of Central Avenue yesterday saw a Publix grocery at Coquina Key close. That prompted questions about other groceries in an area not served as well by big chain groceries as other parts of the city.

Alenskis said the remodeled Albertsons at Seville Square shopping center will have lots of destination centers: snack center, beverage boulevard, reading center where books and magazines are sold, party center and pet center to name a few.

The deli area will be expanded to include more ready-to-go meals, such as pasta dishes, roast beef or prime rib dinners in addition to the usual fried chicken and pizza. These are called meal replacements or meal solutions, Alenskis said.

The renovation will include space for an in-store bank, but Alenskis said a final decision had not been made on whether there will be one.

The front of the store will get a face-lift, and better lighting will be installed in the parking lot. New landscaping will be added.

Alenskis said Albertsons reviews its stores every 10 years for remodeling. New stores being built by the chain have selections, such as the ready-to-go meals and coffee bars, that older stores do not.

"It makes sense to go back to some of our established stores and offer these new services and new departments to our customers," Alenskis said.

It will be June before all of the work is finished. Alenskis would not disclose the cost of the remodeling. "It's a significant investment in the store and the neighborhood."

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