ST. PETERSBURG — Victoria McBride said she’s tired of looking at an empty grocery store in Tangerine Plaza where Sweetbay and a Neighborhood Walmart both came and went.
“This building has been empty too long,” she said.
The city-owned property on 22nd Street South has been empty since 2017 and has left a food desert in the South St. Pete community.
Many people in the area are without a convenient place to get fresh produce and groceries.
“The people that can’t get to the other stores, they don’t have transportation. A lot of people could walk here to this store,” said McBride.
A handful of developers have come forward with plans. And now, Sugar Hill Group and its partners say they have the right idea.
The redevelopment would include a smaller grocery store and a building with at least 115 affordable housing units.
“If you go downtown to Beach Drive along Center or 1st Avenue South, 1st Avenue North, you see thriving businesses. You see all kinds of housing and hotels, apartment complexes. We feel like that we ought to be doing that here along these corridors,” said Pastor Louis Murphy, Sr.
St. Pete mayor Ken Welch has said he supports the Sugar Hill Group, but some city council members have raised concerns over the plans and how long it will take to get done.
Victoria hopes it all happens soon. “What they are doing now is tremendous. It’s really in need.”
Sugar Hill Group says they are talking with grocery chains about coming here, but don’t want to name them until the project gets approval from the City Council.
