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Greenwise Gets Tampa Permit

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By MARY SHEDDEN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 12, 2007

TAMPA - Publix Super Market's foray into natural and organic groceries is getting a lot closer to reality.

Preliminary permits to clear the land have been pulled in Tampa for Greenwise Market, one of the company's new free-standing natural food grocers, the project's architect confirmed Tuesday. Clearing could start within about 30 days.

The Tampa project is getting under way just as Publix prepares to open the first of six Greenwise Market stores since the company first announced the new venture in 2005. The first store, in Palm Beach Gardens, will open Sept. 27, said spokeswoman Shannon Patten.

Publix long has been Florida's dominant grocer and holds nearly 40 percent of the Bay area market share. The Lakeland-based company has more than 900 stores in five Southeastern states and includes its private Greenwise label products in all its stores.

The Greenwise stores, however, will be the grocer's first stand-alone effort in the already highly competitive natural and organic food supermarket industry. Two major players in the genre - Wild Oats and Fresh Market - already operate local stores just a few miles from the planned Greenwise location in Tampa.

Tampa architect Howard Bruning said what makes the local Greenwise project unique is the incorporation of the 39,000-square-foot store with a parking garage. The store is in a space-starved area of South Tampa, at the northeast corner of South Armenia Avenue and West Azeele Street.

Shoppers will park on the ground floor and head upstairs to shop. It's nothing like the traditional supermarket experience when customers park in a large lot adjacent to the store, he said.

'That idea gets turned on its head,' said Bruning, vice president of architectural services for R.R. Simmons, the company handling the design and construction of the Tampa Greenwise project.

Reporter Mary Shedden can be reached at mshedden@tampatrib.com or (813)259-7365.

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