Albertsons #4483
11611 Bonita Beach Road, Bonita Springs, FL - Albertsons Plaza
I was going through some news articles today and I saw a particular grocery chain has announced that they will be opening a new store in Bonita Springs in 2018. While it is confirmed that this chain will be opening a store in Bonita Springs, they have not yet released the location of the store. Due to this, I am not going to say the name of the store out of fear of creating rumors. However, I very much believe this store will be making its home in this former Albertsons store based off of their recent expansion pattern of taking over existing empty retail space (and this is the only large empty box in Bonita Springs I can find, other than half an old Publix in the same plaza as a new Publix). While it's not confirmed yet, I just wanted to put it out there if anybody happens to be in the Bonita Springs area, any photos of this store would be appreciated. This store closed as an Albertsons in 2009 and has been empty ever since. If this store does move in here, this place will be given a decent remodel. Mostly, I'm curious as to what interior this store had as it opened in an era where it could have had either Grocery Palace, Industrial Circus, or Santa Fe/Albertsons Marketplace, and this was the last preserved store from this era out there. I won't be able to make it out this way myself any time soon, so any help from AFB contributors would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
AFB
What a shame! This looked like a very fancy store! Ironically this is the part of Florida that I have never been to. I have been in most cities from Jacksonville to Miami on the east coast, the US 27 corridor from Broward County through Sebring, Lake Wales, Lakeland, to Leesburg and all across north Florida and the Panhandle. I've never been south of Tampa Bay to Naples though. On my next trip to Panama City, I might just make a slight detour on 231 north head into Alabama and grab some photos of one of the former Alabama Albertsons stores. No promises, but I'll try.
ReplyDeleteThese late 2000's stores were nice. That's why it's a shame to see them get all mangled up as they're really not all too old. I've been to SWFL twice: once to Sarasota and once to Fort Myers (which Bonita Springs is close to). Both of those trips were a long time ago, and I didn't get to explore the areas all too much. I'd like to go out that way some day for pictures, but that area is just a bit too far at the moment. If you are able to get pictures of that Alabama store (I assume you're referring to the Dothan store), that would be great, but I'm not in any rush.
DeleteI found the store that's supposed to be taking this Albertsons, supposedly. However, the store seems too large for them (they could build new).
ReplyDeleteIf they do take this building, they'd gut it and split it in half like they did at the other three former Albertsons stores they took over. This company has a strong preference for taking over abandoned retail spaces as a part of their mission to revitalize communities, and honestly, I can't think of any one of their stores being built from the ground up. That's why I feel all signs point to this Albertsons as their future home.
DeleteUPDATE: It’s now a Planet Fitness, Goodwill and Dollar Tree
ReplyDeleteYep - I'll eventually get around to writing a post with some modern photos of what has become of this store, and maybe a blast from the past too...
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