tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post6969209872473691671..comments2024-03-28T03:22:39.407-04:00Comments on Albertsons Florida Blog: Where Shopping Was a Pleasure - Arlington's Original PublixAlbertsons Florida Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17350708223049245195noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-68242604852038272612021-02-25T23:01:57.353-05:002021-02-25T23:01:57.353-05:00Interesting, I didn't even know about Polk Cit...Interesting, I didn't even know about Polk City Directories. Thanks for letting me know about them. I wonder if public libraries have access to this stuff or is there another way of accessing it free?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-8063371687640672022021-02-25T20:15:50.904-05:002021-02-25T20:15:50.904-05:00Anonymous, you might check out the old Polk City D...Anonymous, you might check out the old Polk City Directories for Ocala for info on old stores. I'm trying to find old Polk City Directories for Winter Haven...I'm trying to find out what is in the Southgate Plaza, where a Wing Publix was located...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06777948370342480997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-39444126072419115042021-02-22T23:20:32.090-05:002021-02-22T23:20:32.090-05:00Wow, I thought there were some interesting retail ...Wow, I thought there were some interesting retail stories on that little strip of Ocala. It seems that there are even more than I was expecting! An Albertsons built on top of an old Sears site, that's really something! I'm looking forward to reading your post about this Albertsons and Big Lots when it gets posted. Aside from the interesting detached furniture store, the main Big Lots itself is quite interesting because it has an orange stripe painted across the top of the store kind of like an old 1970s-1980s Kmart. <br /><br />The Paddock Mall ex-Sears in Ocala looks like a near clone of the Mall of the Mainland ex-Sears in Texas City. That is the infamous mall with the painted up faux storefronts, lol. The similarities between the stores makes sense given that both opened in 1991. <br /><br />Anyway, thanks for the good info on the Ocala retail scene. There's some really interesting history over there!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-53386970807927815952021-02-22T22:03:24.025-05:002021-02-22T22:03:24.025-05:00Glad you liked the post! This store has been aband...Glad you liked the post! This store has been abandoned for 14 years now, and Statesboro, GA will be going on 22 years of abandonment this year (this store and Statesboro being the two Publix stores abandoned the longest, that I’m aware of anyway). This store, 225, and 219 in Lake Placid (which I linked a few photos to throughout this post) were all very similar to each other in design.<br /><br />I went to the COJ Property Appraiser, and they didn’t have any old photos of the plaza. However, that court document with the store opening dates was a really good find! That’s some really good information in there! The flickr photostream was a good find too!Albertsons Florida Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350708223049245195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-73680010648134418322021-02-22T22:02:57.496-05:002021-02-22T22:02:57.496-05:00Good job with the prediction! Besides the Kmart an...Good job with the prediction! Besides the Kmart and Publix, there wasn’t much other retail out here, and isn’t any more unless you head further east toward the Winn-Dixie, or south where you’ll find a Save-A-Lot. I’m pretty certain Publix and Kmart were hoping on getting strong, steady waves of shoppers from the college students across the street, hence the location, but I guess sales weren’t too strong in the end.<br /><br />Interesting you mention those stores in Ocala – I’ve actually looked into some of those before. The library operations building was a former retail building, originally home to a Pantry Pride supermarket, with a J.M. Fields discount store next to it: https://www.ocala.com/article/LK/20090719/News/604227933/OS<br /><br />Across the street from there, that abandoned supermarket you mention is actually the former Ocala Albertsons! The Ocala Albertsons was built on top of the city’s original Sears store (before Sears moved to the mall), as that plaza was originally called Searstown Plaza. The Albertsons closed in 2009 and sat empty until 2-3 years ago, when medical offices took over the building. The Big Lots at the other end of the strip was the original supermarket anchor to Searstown Plaza (which closed by the late 1980’s, although I don’t remember what supermarket that was before Big Lots). I’ll have some photos of both the old Albertsons, the Big Lots, and its detached furniture store to post on the blog eventually, but I don’t know when.<br /><br />The building now occupied by a church across from the old Ocala Kmart was originally an A&P Family Mart store, later a short-lived Florida Choice and then Kash n’ Karry. The building still retains its original design from Family Mart, and uses a similar design to a mid-1980’s Albertsons store. The Staples store in the plaza anchored by Earth Origins was formerly a Wing Store Publix, but that’s the only former tenant I know off the top of my head from that strip of stores. Hopefully this information has bolstered your knowledge of Ocala retail!Albertsons Florida Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350708223049245195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-51217497666120777412021-02-22T22:02:18.730-05:002021-02-22T22:02:18.730-05:00These older stores have a quaintness to them that ...These older stores have a quaintness to them that modern stores seem to lack, a “homier” feel I suppose. The location of this store is a tough sell for most new tenants due to its location, unless the landlord is trying to hold out on finding a tenant not related to the university. This plaza would be good expansion space for the college, and probably one of the best retenanting options out there right now. The Kmart building was remodeled beyond recognition when the library moved in, but the building made for a really big library though!Albertsons Florida Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17350708223049245195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-60120040853359180082021-02-21T21:26:42.007-05:002021-02-21T21:26:42.007-05:00Last tip, good lord I'm just spamming, I apolo...Last tip, good lord I'm just spamming, I apologize, If you ever need old store pictures, see here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pepsicopublixteam/ (not all stores are on there) Whew, now I can clam it. That's all the advice I have.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00337266333328556930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-63381759875133262062021-02-21T19:28:18.704-05:002021-02-21T19:28:18.704-05:00By the way it stinks big time that there are no re...By the way it stinks big time that there are no remains of Wavy Pastel. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00337266333328556930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-11429752847318896832021-02-21T19:27:44.967-05:002021-02-21T19:27:44.967-05:00Nice post, (I think I already posted this) but I c...Nice post, (I think I already posted this) but I can't believe this store was vacant for that long. A Former Publix in Statesboro was vacant for a long time too. Back to the topic of this store, I think the layout for Gazebo would have looked like 225 seen here http://365thruamyseyes.blogspot.com/2010/11/good-bye-old-publix-hello-new-publix.html, actually if you ever do Village Square Publixsons (Possibly someday), then this would be a good resource.<br />Tip: Try doing pictometry on property appraisers for somewhat good views, some are old. 2nd tip: Here's a good resource for Publix stores that have tons of old stores and opening dates, its a court case but still: https://www.docketbird.com/court-documents/Cohan-v-Publix-Super-Markets-Inc/Exhibit-C-Joint-Motion-to-Modify-Extend-the-Consent-Decree-O-Byrne-Hayden/flsd-9:2019-cv-80437-00022-003Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-12329864344286221292021-02-21T19:16:30.460-05:002021-02-21T19:16:30.460-05:00It's kind of funny that you posted this becaus...It's kind of funny that you posted this because I was looking at the area around the Jacksonville Publixsons that you posted previously and I came across what looked like an abandoned supermarket in the Gazebo Shopping Center. I was really scratching my head as to why there was a supermarket in such a quiet area of town. There wasn't even any fast food in the area until you get to where the Winn-Dixie is. Anyway, I didn't realize the library was a Kmart so I guess there was a lot of retail in the area at one time. I did think that maybe the abandoned supermarket was a Publix, but I'm not from Florida so I'm not familiar with Publix's old designs as you guys are. I knew you were going to make a post about where the Publixsons moved from and I was somewhat expecting to see the Gazebo Shopping Center! Well, here it is!<br /><br />Speaking of Florida public libraries which are in old retail buildings, and also speaking of poking around Florida maps, several months ago I came across a couple of what looked like old retail anchors in Ocala, FL that are across the street from one another. One of the buildings is now a public library and also an operations building for the library. I can't say for sure that it is an old retail building, but it really does look like a retail building. I can't say what it might have been: https://goo.gl/maps/hWfLtqJTfWDUaykf8<br /><br />Across E. Silver Springs Blvd. from the library is what appears to be an abandoned supermarket. I suppose it could be a discount store as well, I don't know. There is a Big Lots in that shopping center, but it's one of the Big Lots where the furniture store is separate from the store itself. That's kind of neat. Anyway, I remember wondering months ago what retailers might have been in those two shopping centers. I suppose this is as good of an opportunity as any to ask the Florida retail experts what the deal is in Ocala! <br /><br />There is some other interesting zombie retail not far from there in Ocala. Across from a zombie Kmart is this church that kind of looks like an old Wal-Mart, but it looks to be too small to be a Wal-Mart: https://goo.gl/maps/6tZsJANC4FnENpX17<br /><br />Just west of the library/Big Lots shopping centers, there are a couple of shopping centers anchored by an Earth Origins supermarket and by Ace Hardware/Ocala Centre 6 theaters respectively. I suspect those centers were anchored by other retailers, but I'm not sure what they might have been. The Earth Origins store is kind of neat though!<br /><br />Ok, enough rambling about Ocala retail, lol, but I suppose it's kind of interesting to someone from Houston who is not too familiar with Florida retail.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-628100700550321985.post-51637467242509303372021-02-21T10:40:14.125-05:002021-02-21T10:40:14.125-05:00I agree with you. These old 70's Publixes have...I agree with you. These old 70's Publixes have a very comforting and quaint atmosphere. Gee, I must have driven right past this place and didn't realize it- although I'm surprised it has remained untenanted for 14 years! UF Health has so much money that they've bought half of abandoned retail in Gainesville, that I'm surprised that they couldn't use this property as a satellite office more medical care, like the Oaks Mall Sears. <br /><br />That Kmart-turned-library must be pretty awesome! I actually enjoy going to libraries sometimes. That would be a nice one to check out.<br /><br />And too bad on that Wavy Pastel being ripped out- bummer!YonWooRetail2https://www.blogger.com/profile/08255107904539545011noreply@blogger.com