Publix?

[Overstreet]

Retail anything is not building new stores right now. Some remodels but no new construction.

[Captain Zissou]

A bit of a course correction here:  There is a Publix proposed for East San Marco (@ Hendricks & Atlantic), but it is contingent upon the massive project getting built.  Kings Avenue Station (@ Kings Ave just south of 95) also had a grocery store planned, and it is half built. Whichever of these projects regains momentum first will put the grocery store in.

I like the Riverside publix better, the Lakewood one almost caused me to go crazy last night.

[Dog Walker]

Capt., the Lakewood Publix is going to be closed very soon.  The are building a new, much bigger one just across the intersection from the one with the messed up parking.  There used to be an Albertson's on that site, but Publix tore down the building and is putting up a monster store with plenty of accessible parking.

[reednavy]

That new Publix replaced what was a Rowe's.

[Dog Walker]

Reed, you are right.  It was an Albertson's while I had an office near there, but became a Rowe's later.  Old memory!

[stjr]

Reed, you are right.  It was an Albertson's while I had an office near there, but became a Rowe's later.  Old memory!

I stocked that Albertson's (first in Florida) pre-opening as a teenager .  Then I went to their next new store in Arlington at Townsend and did the same.

I also worked in the Publix across the street at University and St. Augustine Road.  It was the first Publix in Jax built in their "second coming".  Publix first came to Jax in the early 60's but, as a high end "gourmet" grocery at the time, made the marketing blunder of opening at the low income serving Gateway Mall.  They were burned so bad it took some 10 years to come back and do it right.

The Alberston stores here were originally called Skaggs-Albertsons as they were a joint venture between Skaggs drugstores and Albertsons grocery stores.  Both were western U.S. companies and they often had stores side by side in western shopping centers which led to the joint venture.  Jax, and eventually the rest of Florida, was their first foray into the East.  They also went into Texas together.  The joint venture featured the "novel" idea of a drug and grocery store under one roof with the same check out (although our local Pic N Saves had done this for years).  An early forerunner to the current Wal-Marts and Targets.  Eventually, they broke up the partnership and Albertsons took sole control of the Florida stores.

Before the Skaggs-Albertsons and adjacent strip center was built on University, that land was a cow pasture and the corner street frontage was Times Square Hardware. 

[billy]

I worked at Times Square the summer of 1974. The owner's brother in law was a manager,
and an amateur ventriloquist. I quickly adjusted to the voices coming from the cash register.

We used to visit Publix on trips to Miami and Fort Lauderdale. We were so excited to have one open
at University. I was a construction laborer and carpenters helper for the store on 13 that was torn down to build Whole Foods.

Jeez I sound old. Did I mention my internship with the French settlers at Fort Caroline?

[Bativac]

stjr, you are the only person besides my dad who I've ever heard talk about Skaggs-Albertsons. (When I was a teenager we went to Albertson's for late-night dog food and potato chip runs.) For all these years, I have humored him and quietly assumed he was crazy. I now know otherwise!

[heights unknown]

there's a publix just a 2 miles North of 8th & Main on Norwood Avenue that noone seems to acknowledge.

that's why one is not coming here anytime soon (unless that one relocates).

Ive been to that one a few times, and its not exactly what i look for in a Publix. When it first opened it was nice, but i guess they're catering to the clientele....cause I've never seen chitterlings & pig feet in any other publix.

LOL...is it a black thing?  No, just kidding.  I've seen many stores outside of black or poor areas that sell chitterlings and pigs feet so I don't think this is "catering to the local clientele."

And...if the economy and our finances crash, those chitterlings and pigs feet (along with hog knuckles, ham hocks, collard greens, souse, and neck bones) will suddenly become a delicacy to the majority of us...and oh, don't knock it until you've tried it.

I know...until that time comes, eat hearty "Heights Unknown."

Heights Unknown

[heights unknown]

there's a publix just a 2 miles North of 8th & Main on Norwood Avenue that noone seems to acknowledge.

that's why one is not coming here anytime soon (unless that one relocates).

Good point.  Remember, there's a Winn Dixie on the Northbank, but I don't think anyone on the Southbank will break their neck to drive to the Northbank Winn Dixie.  If the Strand and Peninsula begin to fill up (anyone know what the occupancy rate is for these two residential towers?), and if the demand is there for not only the Southbank but all of downtown despite the Northbank Winn Dixie, you could see a Publix open up possibly in that area.

Heights Unknown

[Dog Walker]

Heights, now you've gone and made me hungry!  Haven't had neck bones in too long and they are a favorite.  Our Riverside Publix has pigs feet, chitterlings, neck bones, ham hocks, turkey necks, etc. too.  Publix spreads around the goodness and doesn't restrict it to just one neighborhood.

[stjr]

stjr, you are the only person besides my dad who I've ever heard talk about Skaggs-Albertsons. (When I was a teenager we went to Albertson's for late-night dog food and potato chip runs.) For all these years, I have humored him and quietly assumed he was crazy. I now know otherwise!

Glad I could "rehabilitate" your Dad.  Skaggs-Albertsons came to Jax to take on Publix, not Winn Dixie.  Unfortunately for them, they underestimated their competition and never really rose to the occasion.  In my mind, they settled for something below Publix and above Winn-Dixie.  I think that was the source of their demise in this market.

Albertsons was eventually acquired by Supervalue and a private equity joint venture.  Below is a Wikipedia update:

Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240[1] supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's, County Line Liquor and Super Saver Foods banners[2]. While Albertsons LLC is majority-owned by Cerberus Capital Management, the "Albertsons" name is used under license with Supervalu.

Supermarket News ranked Albertsons LLC No. 24 in the 2008 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2007 fiscal year estimated sales of US$6.0 billion.

Albertsons LLC is one of the successor companies to Albertson's, Inc. Albertson's was founded by Joe Albertson in 1939 in Boise, Idaho, USA. The store was filled with perks that, at the time, were brand new: free parking, a money-back guarantee, even an ice cream shop. The store was located at 17th and State Streets in downtown Boise.

On January 23, 2006, Albertsons, Inc., agreed to be acquired by Supervalu, a Cerberus-led group of investors, and CVS/pharmacy. The acquisition was completed on June 2, 2006 with the Cerberus-led group (who also included Kimco Realty Corporation, Schottenstein Stores Corp., Lubert-Adler Partners, and Klaff Realty) acquiring 661 stores and the distribution centers and offices in the Dallas/Fort Worth division and in the Florida, Louisiana, California, Northern Nevada, Rocky Mountain and Southwestern states...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertsons_LLC

[heights unknown]

Heights, now you've gone and made me hungry!  Haven't had neck bones in too long and they are a favorite.  Our Riverside Publix has pigs feet, chitterlings, neck bones, ham hocks, turkey necks, etc. too.  Publix spreads around the goodness and doesn't restrict it to just one neighborhood.

Thank you!  People tend to forget despite Publix, and others trying to be "pristine" so to speak, Jacksonville is in the south and traditionally people in the south and from the south eat or have eaten those types of foods.  It is good stuff.

Heights Unknown

[sandyshoes]

...(When I was a teenager we went to Albertson's for late-night dog food and potato chip runs.)

Hmmmm...was that tasty?      

[Dog Walker]

...(When I was a teenager we went to Albertson's for late-night dog food and potato chip runs.)

Hmmmm...was that tasty?      

It would depend on the quality and flavor of the potato chips!  LOL!  My dogs seem to think that ALL dog food tastes great!