Thursday, November 10, 2011

Publix opens in Riviera Beach

Comment Up
Photo taken last week
Publix in Riviera Beach Opens

Everyone goes gaga over a supermarket. Normally this wouldn't even be news but here in PB County it's treated like the Second Coming. They did the same thing in Lake Worth. Why? I have no idea. This one on East Blue Heron Boulevard opened this morning to a crowd of folks.

I wonder if Riviera Beach's CRA gave this Publix one half million bucks.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

We just voted in a man who believes in spending tax payer money for just about anything.

Anonymous said...

We should have had a two story Publix's or at least a bigger one. Who cares we gave them an incentive to come here. Now we have one.

Lynn Anderson said...

They didn't need an "incentive" to come here. I thought EVERYONE IN THE WORLD KNEW THAT. I guess you didn't get that memo.

And--we already have a 43,000 s.f. Publix on LW Road just near I-95, LESS than one mile from this new one. I THOUGHT EVERYONE KNEW THAT.

And I CARE ABOUT THE $500,000. Everyone should. Is that "peanuts" from the Peanut Gallery?

Anonymous said...

I am sorry you have a hard time with the publix's downtime.. The majority of the residents are glad after several years we have a place to go ..
You in Murry Hills still have the one on Lake Worth Road, but the rumor around town is that they will be closing the first of the year. Better make sure your bike tires have Air IT IS A LONG RIDE

Lynn Anderson said...

I have a hard time with stupidity, period.
Next--I do NOT LIVE IN MURRY HILLS.
Next after that--Thanks for being so sensitive to the needs of the elderly.
SO, GO BLOW SMOKE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
Thanks, again.
P.S. I am not as nice to anonymous posters as is Mary Lindsey.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry you constantly post about Murry Hills. Maybe you should let us know where you really live

Anonymous said...

I really hate having to take the time to go grocery shopping. What happens is, I come home with twice what I originally was going to buy. So instead of spending $45 it's $90 or worse. It sucks. This Publix charges too much.

Anonymous said...

Lynn would it be better if the city paid $500000k to fix the dangerous crumbling sidewalks and streets and have the empty lot or give Publix the money to make the repairs and have the store there contributing money and jobs directly back to the community?
Where are you going to shop when the store on LW rd closes?

Anonymous said...

Dear anon at 1:27 -make a list BEFORE you wander around the store,then stick to it. No more impulse buying.

Lynn Anderson said...

The "empty" lot was supposed to be the pool and recreational area for Hammon Park. All those who bought into that development got screwed by the developer. We helped in that regard by approving $100,000 or more to the Hammon Park project for affordable housing. The market tanked. They didn't sell much...it went into foreclosure.

Now, Publix NEVER came to us and asked us for one thing. The CRA just gave it to them thinking that they needed some incentive to come to LW. They already were coming here. They did not need our money.

As far as I can find out about the LW Road Publix that I have been shopping at since it was there, I have been told that it will now stay. Who knows. It is catering to the Hispanic immigrant crowd.

The other thing is that the CRA will make plenty of tax money off of this Publix that is in their district. That was the sole motivation for the CRA Director to do this...spend money to make the money. Always follow the money. She felt that this was an incentive for Publix and she, along with CRA members, take credit for bringing Public to LW. It was a horrible waste of precious money. HORRIBLE. I agree with Jo-Ann Golden.

Anonymous said...

I love the Publix downtown, worth every penny in incentives. First, it is great for the City to have a grocery store downtown, makes this city walkable. Second, Publix acts as an anchor tenant for the downtown area, drawing people into downtown where they will stop and spend more money. Third, the downtown Publix really providing community spirit, every time I go, and I hate grocery shopping, I see people I know, talk and visit with them, that never happened at the Lantana Publix.

Mark A. Parrilla said...

I can't believe that people are still tossing around the 500k figure like it was an incentive or a gift or as a weapon against Andy while he was on the CRA. It was not! It was to compensate for over 500k worth of infrastructure work that the Publix construction crewhad to do in order to get the building up. If our local government had been doing it's job and maintaining the services it's responsible for that would not have transpired.

People do your research before posting comments on these blogs. No wonder you don't sign your name to your comments you are just parrotting lies and inaccuracies with no regard to the consequences.

Joyously,
Mark A. Parrilla

Lynn Anderson said...

Well, I can't believe that people continue to PARROT the CRA reason for giving them $500,000.

Anonymous said...

Unless they are only shopping for toilet paper, most people who grocery shop don't do it with the intent of stopping by the Hookah bar for a quickie. They want to get their persibles home. This is not an incentive to draw shoppers to our downtown. Bull.

Anonymous said...

While on the CRA Andy only spent money. This is a Board that does nothing but spend. Having someone on the commission with that mentality is a concern. What he didn't spend by past CRA members he approved. I disagree with him on all of it. We need a fiscally responsible commission that can say no to spending.

Anonymous said...

I think the difference here is the issue of spending WISELY.
Lynn, do you have proof that the CRA offered Publix the $$ as a gift? Are you very sure of your facts?
Whomever thinks that our downtown Publix is not beneficial to the town, is who I'm concerned about.
I know I've stopped shopping at Winn Dixie now.
Publix's tax dollars will help the city; it is an immaculate, well tended facility and only speaks well of LWorth.

As to Anon @2:49, sounds like you just plain don't like Andy, period.

Lynn Anderson said...

Why don't you ask Joan Oliva? Maybe she will tell you the facts.

I am 100% in favor of keeping dollars in Lake Worth and will buy and spend my money here whenever possible.

I agree with Anonymous above and I sure do like Andy. It has nothing against Andy other than he does approve of all the CRA spending of the past and I certainly do not. It is something worth considering. We have had the CRA for how many years now and what have they done for slum and blight? Not much. As I said, the CRA wanted Publix to be there for the money it would make off the taxes. It is in the CRA so the City has to give back much of that tax money to the CRA. I don't know why no one thinks that the old Publix is not part of the town or even in the City. That's always been a mystery to me. I have yet to visit the new Publix. It's not an outing for me.

Anonymous said...

Oh Lynn, you don't know what you're missing! The new Publix has the friendliest staff ever and is so well run - it's a pleasure to shop there.
You really must try it!

Anonymous said...

I agree. Almost every time I go to the new Publix, I see friendly faces smiling back at me. Some friends, some employees of Publix some obvious Palm Beachers who would never have been seen at the other Lake Worth location.

I eat lunch from their fresh cooked deli selections and often stop by on the way home for a rotiserie chicken and some "fixins".

Great ambassador for our downtown and with all the traffic coming and going, a definite draw for more businesses to open in close proximity.

We always used the one in Lantana so now I feel I am spending more of my money here in Lake Worth. Always a PLUS +++++++