Community News

Work to begin soon on Highway 124 Publix?

For two years, a large sign staked in a corner lot at the intersection of Highways 124 and 332 in West Jackson has announced that national grocer Publix is "coming soon" to the 14.85-acre piece of land. Yet with the exception of dirt being removed for sale, the lot has remained untouched during the sign's two years.

That could change in the next few months, according to Jackson County planning director Frank Etheridge. He said developer Halversen Real Estate Corporation filed construction plan for the shopping center some 30 to 45 days ago.

"Our understanding is they want to start in the next 30 to 40 days." Etheridge said. He added that interest in the out-parcels, the shopping center vacancies around the supermarket send high. Only a pre-construction notice from the company remains to be filed before work can begin on the site.

"Basically, it's in their court," Etheridge said. He explained that two issues likely stalled progress on the development. Publix appeared to be concerned about the limited number of households in the area, and Halverson had been in discussions with the state Department of Transportation, likely regarding access to the shopping center.

Brenda Reid, a communications manager for Publix in Georgia, said Publix was settled on building a supermarket at the site, though she didn’t know what demographic formulas the company used to make its decision.

"When we look at a location there are so many variables involved," she explained. "A lot of it has to do with traffic patterns, population density, but there is no form per se. Growth potential, we do look at that as well."

The grocer has a construction completion deadline of the first quarter of 2008, though that remains a ballpark estimate, Reid said. Halverson will ultimately decide the exact time it plans to finish.

"We don’t own [the land], so the construction is on [the developer's] schedule," Reid said. "We're just a tenant."

Yet the developer refuses to discuss construction timelines, if much of anything. Calls to the business were not returned, though one company worker said development was "right on course." She then refused to give her name and immediately hung up the phone.