BRANDON - Although razed walls, dusty concrete and remnants of Blue Light Specials remain hidden behind the fencing near the northeast intersection of West Brandon Boulevard and Lakewood Drive, there's a lot going on and even much more to come.
Demolition crews and a developer are busy preparing the site for a makeover that will include Lucky's Market, Bealls Outlet and Home Centre. Until recently the 228,176 square-foot center was home to a longtime Kmart store and other merchants that still include Chuck E. Cheese's, Top China Buffet and Kane's furniture.
SITE Centers, a real estate investment trust headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, now owns and will develop and manage the Brandon property. It's in the early stages of revamping the center that has been renamed the Collection at Brandon Boulevard. It is the newest among the company's ownership of 78 shopping centers spread throughout the United States.
The right half of the former Kmart building has been razed to make room for the stores, including Lucky's, a Colorado-headquartered grocery chain that currently has 33 stores throughout the country, 15 of which are in are in Florida.
Founded in 2003 by husband-and-wife-duo Trish and Bo Sharon in a Boulder, Colo., convenience store they owned, Lucky's is now financially backed by the Kroger Co., considered a giant among grocers.
"The Sharons shared a vision of creating a grocery store where food lovers like themselves would want to shop, with quality products sold at affordable prices with genuine personal service," Lucky's Market spokesperson Krista Torvik said in a statement sent to the Times.
She added that the heart of the store is the produce department with its more 350 fresh, seasonal and mainly locally grown items. It also features ready-to-eat meals made daily from scratch, grab-and-go sushi options, a made-to-order ramen bar, and a cheese shop with close to 100 selections.
Adult customers may also purchase a $3 glass of wine or a $2 pint of wine to sip on while they stroll through the 30,467-square-foot market, complete with a bulk-food section and an apothecary department where customers can make their own teas and create their own healing remedies and also pick up over-the-counter medicines.
The 28,000-square-foot Beall's Outlet is expected to open on the western end of the complex and the Home Centre, headquartered in Dubai, will feature furniture, home décor and other accessories. All the stores should open in 2019.
SITE Centers officials hope the site's transformation, will attract much attention from the close to 82,000 vehicles on average that travel daily on along that stretch of West Brandon Boulevard, according FDOT figures.
"I like that there will be a variety of stores to help fill the gap that Kmart offered," said nearby Timber Pond resident Barbara Routen. "It's nice, too, that the shops will be close to home so that I don't always have to go to the mall or Valrico."
Additional spaces are still available for lease at the center. To learn more log onto www.loopnet.com.
Contact Joyce McKenzie at hillsnews@tampabay.com.
