GULF SHORES – The site of the former Winn Dixie supermarket on Gulf Shores Parkway that has been closed for more than a year could become a prototype for a Publix market store under a proposal approved by the Gulf Shores Planning Commission.
The commission voted unanimously Tuesday, Jan. 25, to approve a site plan to tear down the Winn Dixie building and construct a Publix at the site.
Lee Jones, city director of planning and community development, said the plan calls for the entire building to be replaced, not renovated.
“It’s not a rehab,” he said. “They’re actually taking the old Winn Dixie building down and building it from the ground up on the existing footprint. With that, they’re going to totally redo that parking lot, bring it up to standard with all the landscaping and parking lot trees as well as lighting for that site. So, we’re excited about the rehab that’s going to go on at the site across the street.”
Jones said the building footprint is about 25,000 square feet. Most Publix stores, such as the facility at Pelican Place, north of the Intracoastal Canal on Alabama 59, are 50,000 to 60,000 square feet.
“So it’s going to be a smaller, market-style, but they haven’t given us any details about the offerings there, but it’s going to be a smaller prototype for them,” Jones said.
The plan calls for lighting improvements in the parking lot with 18 new light poles put up.
Delivery trucks bringing items to the new store will also use a new route, coming in off Alabama 59 onto 16th Street before going to the back of the property. Trucks will leave from the loading dock and go out past the McDonalds, Jones said.
Andy Bauer, Gulf Shores planning director, said Friday, Jan. 28, that the city will issue a building permit for the project as soon as conditions set by the commission are met. Conditions include a payment of $26,640 instead of building sidewalks near the project and meeting fire marshal specifications. Bauer said the developers have not notified the city of a schedule for construction of the project.
