Publix Means More to Ave Maria Than Just Groceries
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- Published on Friday, 12 June 2009 14:21
"We never really considered anyone else," said Barron Collier Vice President Blake Gable. "Publix is a leader in the state of Florida, a great company and a great community par
tner."
For Publix, the opportunity to locate in Ave Maria fit with the company's strategy of staking out its ground in areas poised for growth, according to spokesperson Shannon Patten.
"In many cases, we open with a view to the future," Ms. Patten said. "We want to be the the primary supermarket in an area. If we are there at the start of a development, that's fine with us because we know the growth is coming."
For its first foray into the area east of Collier Blvd., Ms. Patten said that Publix and Barron Collier agreed that the right model was Publix's recently-developed 28,000-square-foot prototype store used in urban areas and smaller residential developments. The store features full-service meat, deli, bakery and seafood departments but is about half the size of many other Publix stores, such as the one at Pebblebrooke Plaza at Collier Blvd. and Immokalee Rd. The Ave Maria store will be Publix's 18th location in Collier County. The 19th store will open a week later on Collier Blvd. just south of Pine Ridge Rd.
Collier County Commissioiner Jim Coletta sees the Publix opening as positive not just for Ave Maria, but for the area surrounding the town.
"I'm sure this will be a big success from Day One," Mr. Coletta said. "Publix projects its customer base in a radius of many miles from its location. They will be drawing from a base of Publix shoppers that will be enormous."
The Publix should have a positive impact on property values as well, Mr. Coletta said, adding that "These days, we can use all the help we can get in that area."
Mr. Gable said that it was one of the developer's highest priorities to ensure there was a supermarket in Ave Maria.
"In planning a community, you size up what you need. A grocery store is always critical - one of the most critical components."
Years before Ave Maria was built, Publix was eager to partner with the town developers, Mr. Gable said, because, "When Publix looks at a location it's not just short-term. They took a long-term view of the eastern part of the county."
The two companies worked out an agreement that Mr. Gable says makes economic sense for both parties. As part of that agreement, Ave Maria Development built and owns the building and Publix will lease the facilities. That's the arrangement for 90 percent of 1,004 Publix stores in the southeastern U.S., Ms. Patten says, though she adds that when it comes to the particulars, "Every single agreement Publix enters into is different."
Developers frequently make it attractive for large retailers like Publix to open in specific locations because of the other opportunities that such businesses create, says Michael O'Mara of the John R. Wood Company, who has been involved in commercial real estate in southwest Florida for 30 years.
"Benefits of tenants like Publix," Mr. O'Mara said, "include the fact that they often induce other businesses to locate in the area, and their hours of operation bring traffic into the community throughout the day which provides business to other establishments."
In addition, said Mr. Gable, Publix provides jobs to members of the community and a supermarket is of prime importance to current and potential residents of the town. "Publix really wants to be a community partner, not just a store, and that's one of the things we like about them."
The timing of the opening is close to what was originally planned, Mr. Gable said, although there were permitting delays which seem to be inevitable in any local construction project.
Judging from the buzz around Ave Maria, the Publix is eagerly anticipated. It will make an enormous difference in the lives of residents, saving significant amounts of time that has been spent driving to supermarkets 20 miles or more away from town.
"I can't wait to take the cooler out of my car," one resident said.