Publix's Inaugural store on the Emerald Coast: Publix #489 - Panama City Beach, FL

                                    Former Publix #489 (1994-2008)

                                                                   

                                           11220 Hutchison Blvd

                                           Panama City Beach, FL

 While much of Florida is dominated (well I would say SUPER dominated by Publix Supermakets), they don't have quite the large store count or concentration in the neck of the woods where I hail from, the Panhandle. Of course lower store count or concentration would have also applied to all major supermarkets who have operated in Florida such as Winn Dixie and Albertsons. For 23 years Panama City was served by Albertsons #4355 at the corner of Hwy 77 and 23rd in Panama City proper, along with at least a half dozen Winn Dixies and a few Sunshine Supermarkets. There also was a short-lived Albertsons (store #4425) which opened March 1996 in Callaway at the corner of Hwy 22 and Tyndall Pkwy. That store met its end in October of 1999. That store was likely short-lived because just a few months after the Callaway Albertsons opened, Walmart opened Callaway's very own Supercenter about a mile to the north at 7th St. and Tyndall Parkway.

Panama City itself had stores such as Food World, Delchamps in addition to the Winn Dixies and Sunshine Supermarkets and an occasional Piggly Wiggly. It wasn't until 1994 that Bay County got its first two Publix stores. The two stores which were being built simultaneously in Bay County in 1994 were store #481 at 630 W. 23rd Street, and the store I am writing about today, store #489 on Panama City Beach at the corner of Hutchison Blvd (Middle Beach Rd.) and Richard Jackson Rd. 

 As I drove up here, I briefly looked around and thought "How sad it is that a nice supermarket like this was built  just to close it 14 years later."

 Store closures after 14 years from what I understand is uncommon for Publix. So why do you think Publix did this? The only real reason I can come up with was a lack or major traffic. Because of the way Middle Beach Rd is oriented (it is sort of a bypass from the east end of Front Beach Rd to the western end of Front Beach Rd. The problem is, most people visiting Panama City Beach enjoy cruising what is called "The Miracle Mile" which is pretty much the entire length of Front Beach Rd, so they can check out the shops restaurants, bars & clubs, and other neat attractions on the beach.

Looks pretty nice around here still after 7 years.....Wait a minute, Is that the B-word I see spray painted across the front window? It's the word BEAUTIFUL, right? I wish! 

 You can still pick out the location for the "Presto" ATM right in the front of the old entrance vestibule. At this distance it's hard to discern if any graffiti exists. 

If you look carefully (and I mean REALLY carefully), you can make out a faint labelscar for "P-U-B" in Publix. 

For those who may not be familiar with the Greater Panama City area, it is a fairly up and coming community in Florida's Panhandle that has changed quite a bit in the last 24 years. While Panama City itself hasn't had a huge population change during the time period, Panama City Beach has. For some reason Publix was thinking that Middle Beach Rd would blossom during the late 90's and early 2000's, and that there would be major subdivisions and more retail would pop up along that corridor, but for some reason it didn't. Panama City Beach, for as fun of a town it is for vacationers who enjoy the vibrant night life there, many locals in the area don't like all the noise. From what I understand Panama City Beach has some pretty strict local codes, and many of the locals who live in the Boardwalk Beach Resort who are a bit more advanced in years particularly don't like the noise from the young visitors who come every Spring in droves, But that's a story for later.

 As for Publix #489, the store still had a decent run for 14 years closing in 2008. The reason for this store's closure I would say was a lack of traffic. On Middle Beach Road (Hutchison Blvd), other than a few business parks, an RV campground known as Raccoon River and Shipwreck Island Water Park, the area never really built up like so many other areas around the beach, like the Pier Park at the west end.  Sometime in 2009 Publix opened store #1241 just a half mile to the north on Panama City Beach Pkwy (also known as Back Beach Rd). Publix #1241 was built to anchor Breakfast Point Marketplace along with Office Depot and several other shops. For those not familiar with Panama City Beach, PCB Pkwy has been the main retail and residential corridor of development for the last 10 years in Bay County, which is probably why Publix chose to close store #489, and relocated to Back Beach Rd. 

As I walked up to the old building, There was clear evidence of a past Publix here. Boy is it odd seeing a "past" Publix up in the Florida Panhandle (a place west of Tallahassee where only about 14-16 Publixes exist -the amount that exists in Gainesville alone!) I vistited this store in December 2016, about a month after launching my flickr account. So at this point the store had been abandoned for about 8 years. 

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And there's the labelscars for "Pharmacy "dot" Floral". You really don't see those signs on the newer Publixes anymore. According to fellow blogger and flickr-er Albertsons Florida Blog, this was a more deluxe model Publix store that the company was building back in the early/ mid 90's. It even had a Cafe with its very own entrance!  

After walking over to the left side of the old Publix, I saw exactly what I described above, the old Cafe! Don't those green awnings look cool!? Only, it looks as though some drunkards with baseball bats or some other object may have made some forcible contact with them. Could this be the doing of vandals?

As I turned a bit to the left I attempted to snap a picture with my cell phone in the window facing in toward the Deli counter. The window was at an angle, so I had a difficult time keeping light pollution/ glare from getting the best of this photo opportunity. What you can see is a mostly in tact mid 90's Publix store just like it would have been back in the good ole days. The 90's was a great time period in Florida grocery retail before Publix and Walmart essentially created a duopoly. I say Publix was better when they were slightly fewer in numbers. I remember when Publix was a "special" store to visit that created a pleasant shopping experience . But now since I reside in Gainesville, where Publix has a store on just about ever corner, that special feeling for me is gone, and now Publix is simply a nice, nonetheless run-of-the-mill grocery store. That's about it. That being said, what you are about to see inside this former Publix is definitely work that was not intentionally done by the property owners. I can assure you that!

My lands! (as old timers would probably say), This place has been trashed!!

Does it get any better from another angle? Haha! NO! All you see is busted out doors from what I would say was either homeless people using this building as a squatting place, or another theory I have is that drunken Spring breakers who during the 90's through Mid-2010's have made P.C.B. one of their top destinations to get wasted (unfortunately). 2015 was one of the worst years for violence, out of control behavior, drug use, and a whole host of other problems brought to Panama City Beach by Spring breakers. It was so bad that the Panama City Beach City Council enacted a temporary drinking ban on the beach effective from early March through late April (the time period for which most Spring breakers would have made their annual appearances in the area). Many beach business owners were quite a bit upset about the new laws, as they cited a marked decrease in business during the first year of laws taking effect, which I believe was 2016.

 However since those laws were enacted there has been a tremendous increase in traffic from "families" visiting P.C.B instead of just binge drinking Spring breakers. Of course not all college Spring breakers are into the crazy stuff, fortunately. But what Panama City Beach has experienced since these new temporary drinking ban laws has been more of a boon than a bane in the last year and a half. Currently Panama City Beach is having a problem with visitors not being able to make accommodations because of the tremendous damage inflicted on neighboring Panama City, Lynn Haven, Springfield, Parker, Callaway, and Mexico Beach by Hurricane Micheal last month (October 2018). People from the area just mentioned (those who haven't been lucky enough to have non-damaged homes) are having to either live in tents or temporarily reside in apartments/ condos on the beach which would normally be filled by seasonal vacationers. 

Here's one last look at Former Publix #489 on Panama City Beach. This is looking into the left side entrance of the old entrance vestibule. Not only has there been window bashed in, graffiti written, but also some type of liquid substance splashed onto these front windows. They really trashed this old Publix!

Here's another shot of the old storefront as seen on December 24, 2016. This was a nice looking Publix. For a while I was thinking that I'd not be interested in doing a Publix recreation ( I've been putting Albertsons first for that), but with this old store I just may make an exception. 

So what has been the history for the store since it's been abandoned? Here's an old article from the local news outlet, WJHG, that shows what could have been here:

 https://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Entertainment-Venue-at-Old-Publix-Building-Turned-Town--241568021.html

While I didn't get any really good photos inside this place, fellow flick er, Ryan Brotherson who lives in the local area, has these photos to share. He also provided us some insight into what is making it into the original Panama City Beach Publix:

 https://flic.kr/p/Yj6dn9

https://flic.kr/p/YDWTRj

https://flic.kr/p/YGxNhv

https://flic.kr/p/YGxNQK. 

There's more photos of this store Ryan has, but you can just scroll through his photos. Ryan indicated that a Trampoline park would be moving into the old Publix space. 

Now I haven't been by this old Publix (partially because it is out of the way from where I usually go on the beach), which is probably why it only lasted 15 years. So I haven't seen what it looks like now in person, but here is what I could dig up form local news sources:

http://www.newsherald.com/news/20180327/trampoline-park-helps-plaza-bounce-back

Wow! That's a tremendous change made to this part of Panama City Beach. I am happy to see this. I am saddened that a lot of my hometown has been so badly devastated by Hurricane Michael, but I have a strong believe that Panama City will actually come back stronger than ever with many new homes and businesses that will lead to steady growth in the area. 

To end, here is an old Google Streetview photo from Nov. 2007 of Publix 489. This would have been not long before the store closed. It still looks like it got decent business, and with the way Publix is now about having stores so close together, they could probably have left this one open in hindsight. 

I hope for anyone who takes the time to read enjoys my 2nd blog post. It was a bit longer than the first one, eh. Well, hopefully I can come up with some neat material in the coming months and years. Once again: Thanks for visiting my blog!

-YonWooRetail2