Midtown’s Tangerine Plaza, abandoned last year by Sweetbay, now offers Midtown residents a new place to buy milk, meat, and produce. At 7:00 a.m. last Wednesday morning, a 40,000 square foot Walmart Neighborhood Market opened in the plaza, located at 1794 22nd Street South.
According to the City of St. Petersburg’s web site, “the new store provides the Midtown community with a new, convenient option for grocery needs, including fresh produce and pharmacy services.”
Wal-Mart hosted a job fair this past October and told the city the majority of its 95 Midtown employees live within walking distance of the market.
After Sweetbay’s 2013 exodus from Midtown, city officials, Larry Newsome of Urban Development Solutions (UDS), and what St. Petersburg officials call “members of the private development community” sought an acceptable replacement.
“I am pleased Walmart is a committed partner to the City of St. Petersburg, and I am grateful for their investment in our community,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman. “I welcome the Walmart Neighborhood Market to Midtown St. Petersburg.”
Wal-Mart hosted a “Big Family Welcome Day” on February 1 and bestowed $8,000 in grants to upon local community groups.
At the western edge of South Pinellas, work continues on the South Pasadena Wal-Mart of a similar size. Daily newspapers reported the market would open mid-January, however work on the South Pasadena Wal-Mart has yet to finish.
