The new store in the neigborhood
- March 24, 2015
- / Carlton Proctor
- / community-dashboard
From her front porch on East Strong Street, Emily Perceval has a clear view of the playground and the red-brick building that once housed A.V. Clubbs Middle School.
But in a couple of months that view will change dramatically.
Wrecking crews are scheduled to arrive in May and begin tearing down the long-vacant building and clearing the land, a full city block.
For most of the summer the site will be dominated by dump trucks, backhoes, piles of rubble and lots of noise.
Later this year, construction crews will arrive and begin the year-long task of building a new Publix supermarket on the site.
For Perceval and her neighbors that will mean more trucks, more noise and more commotion.
And when the Publix store opens in late 2016, it’s expected to attract hundreds of customers per day.
So, how does the 85-year-old Perceval feel about all this disruption and change? And about the novelty of living across the street from a major supermarket?
In a word: “Delighted.”
“Yes, I am delighted that I will have Publix as a neighbor,” said Perceval, who has lived at her home for the past 40 years. “I think it will help the entire East Hill neighborhood.”
Longtime East Hill resident Pam Carr also is excited about having a Publix within biking distance of her Gonzalez Street home.
“We’ve been told by a Publix representative here in Pensacola that the store will be designed with a look that fits in with the neighborhood,” Carr said. “And it will have non-intrusive lighting and special places at the rear of the store where trucks will come in to deliver food.
“I love Publix, and I love that it’s going to replace an old school building that’s been sitting vacant for the past several years,” Carr says.
Keith Harrod, a Realtor specializing in East Hill residential properties, believes the Publix project will have a positive effect, not only on residents of the area, but also on surrounding property values.
“I think the Publix store will be a tremendous addition to East Hill,” he said. “Publix is a great brand, and I think it really speaks well of the East Hill demographic that they’ve chosen to locate there.
“East Hill residents will be able to walk or bike to the store, and anytime you can bring that kind of convenience to the neighborhood, it really helps the livability of East Hill,” he said.
Another anticipated benefit of the Publix supermarket, said Harrod, is the interest it’s expected to generate in surrounding commercial properties.
“When you do not allow property to go to its highest value, very often the area begins to deteriorate,” Harrod said. “So, I think that site definitely needed to go commercial.”
Concerns addressed
Rumors that Publix was coming to the Clubbs site have been circulating throughout the East Hill community for months before the Lakeland-based company confirmed its intentions earlier this month.
Prior to that confirmation, there were concerns about the impact the proposed store would have on the East Hill area.
[caption id="attachment_20503" align="alignright" width="450"]
Nannette Chandler, a neighbor in East Hill, at the future site of the Publix off Cervantes Street. Michael Spooneybarger/PensacolaToday[/caption]
One of those most concerned was Nanette Chandler, another Strong Street resident whose home overlooked the Clubbs site.
Like many of her neighbors, Chandler was concerned about noise, smells and light pollution at night.
She, too, wondered if the new Publix would be like the other four big-box stores in the greater Pensacola area.
Or would it be designed to be compatible, aesthetically speaking, with the neighborhood?
Chandler, also local Realtor, took her questions and concerns to White Development LLC, the Clearwater firm that’s building the store property for Publix.
That led to her working with White Development as a point of contact for East Hill and Pensacola residents with questions about the project.
“At first I had concerns and went to City Council,” she said. “Afterward, the developer approached me and asked me if I would be willing to give them input on design of the site.
“So, we sat down and devised a different way of looking as the design of the store,” she said.
Light pollution was one of the first issues they addressed.
“The lighting for the parking areas will not be comprised of overhead fluorescent lamps. Instead, the design will feature landscape lighting and LED lamp post lighting reminiscent of gas lanterns.”
Chandler said the store property will be landscaped heavily and will have muted landscape lighting that will help illuminate the area for customers during the evening hours.
Another major concern is potential traffic congestion around the store.
“Right now, from Ninth Avenue to 12th Avenue, there is not a single stop sign on Strong Street,” she said. “With the city’s approval, Publix will pay to have stop signs installed along Strong Street.”
Strong and 11th Avenue will become a four-way stop with pedestrian crosswalk. New in/out entrances will be added on 11th and 12th avenues to alleviate some traffic on Strong Street.
As for the store’s aesthetic, the façade will look similar to the early 20th Century storefront design along Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola.
Developers also plan to reuse the red brick from the Clubbs school to create paver sidewalks around the store.
Chandler said another concern she’s heard from East Hill residents focuses on delivery trucks, store dumpsters and smells.
She said all delivery trucks will arrive during normal business hours and back into an enclosed bay so they will not be seen.
“This is going to be a beautiful building,” she said. “It will be the first of its kind for Publix: A store that’s placed in a neighborhood to blend in to the neighborhood.
“After sorting out all the major issues associated with this development, I’m very much in favor of it,” Chandler said.
Nannette Chandler, a neighbor in East Hill, at the future site of the Publix off Cervantes Street. Michael Spooneybarger/PensacolaToday[/caption]
One of those most concerned was Nanette Chandler, another Strong Street resident whose home overlooked the Clubbs site.
Like many of her neighbors, Chandler was concerned about noise, smells and light pollution at night.
She, too, wondered if the new Publix would be like the other four big-box stores in the greater Pensacola area.
Or would it be designed to be compatible, aesthetically speaking, with the neighborhood?
Chandler, also local Realtor, took her questions and concerns to White Development LLC, the Clearwater firm that’s building the store property for Publix.
That led to her working with White Development as a point of contact for East Hill and Pensacola residents with questions about the project.
“At first I had concerns and went to City Council,” she said. “Afterward, the developer approached me and asked me if I would be willing to give them input on design of the site.
“So, we sat down and devised a different way of looking as the design of the store,” she said.
Light pollution was one of the first issues they addressed.
“The lighting for the parking areas will not be comprised of overhead fluorescent lamps. Instead, the design will feature landscape lighting and LED lamp post lighting reminiscent of gas lanterns.”
Chandler said the store property will be landscaped heavily and will have muted landscape lighting that will help illuminate the area for customers during the evening hours.
Another major concern is potential traffic congestion around the store.
“Right now, from Ninth Avenue to 12th Avenue, there is not a single stop sign on Strong Street,” she said. “With the city’s approval, Publix will pay to have stop signs installed along Strong Street.”
Strong and 11th Avenue will become a four-way stop with pedestrian crosswalk. New in/out entrances will be added on 11th and 12th avenues to alleviate some traffic on Strong Street.
As for the store’s aesthetic, the façade will look similar to the early 20th Century storefront design along Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola.
Developers also plan to reuse the red brick from the Clubbs school to create paver sidewalks around the store.
Chandler said another concern she’s heard from East Hill residents focuses on delivery trucks, store dumpsters and smells.
She said all delivery trucks will arrive during normal business hours and back into an enclosed bay so they will not be seen.
“This is going to be a beautiful building,” she said. “It will be the first of its kind for Publix: A store that’s placed in a neighborhood to blend in to the neighborhood.
“After sorting out all the major issues associated with this development, I’m very much in favor of it,” Chandler said.
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