Caladesi Publix Plans Major Rebuild

City commissioners green-lighted plans to expand Caladesi during a June 16 meeting.

“It’s a very old and tired building, and we are happy to be giving the residents of Dunedin a bigger and better Publix,” Publix spokesperson Shannon Patten said.

The 34,000-square-foot building is a fixture in Caladesi Shopping Center, a strip mall at the corner of Curlew Road and Bayshore Boulevard. It opened its doors on Dec. 18, 1973. Plans indicate the grocery store will be torn down and rebuilt.

Once completed, it will have almost 12,000 more square feet and a pharmacy, an amenity the Caladesi Publix lacks.

“We will provide an expanded shopping experience complete with energy-efficient equipment and an expanded selection of products,” Patten said.

Publix has not released an official start date for the demolition, but is expected to be complete in December 2012. Patten said rebuilds such as this typically take 10 months, so a start date in early 2012 is likely.

As the project progresses, Publix said it would ensure shoppers are given sufficient notice of important dates and alternate locations.

Patten said the store will close for the demolition and rebuild, but store associates will not lose their jobs.

“In our 80-year history, we have never laid off an associate,” Patten said. “All associates will have the option to work at neighboring stores during construction and be given first priority when the store reopens if they want to return.”

During the June 16 city commission meeting, Commissioner Julie Ward Bujalski expressed concern for people who use the Publix parking lot to access the or ride the . 

“I’m not implying that Publix is going to renege on their promise. They are a good neighbor,” Bujalski said. “I would just like to see something in writing because you never know when a new manager might come along and say, ‘You can’t park here anymore.' ” 

Despite her concerns, other commissioners argued that a verbal promise from Publix was sufficient to proceed with the project.

“Of course we will always do our best to accommodate the areas in which we operate; it’s the neighborly thing to do,” Patten said.

The closest alternate Publix is in Granada Plaza at 1491 Main St.