Fresh Market Coming to Cocoanut Grove Site (click on photo for larger image)
For a good many years, the corner of Fourth Street North and 30th Avenue was the home of the Cocoanut Grove Motel, a grouping of cottages that hummed with activity every winter, as the tourists flocked back down to St. Petersburg to escape the cold north. But by the 1980′s, the old cottages were getting pretty ramshackle and the motel’s days were numbered. In February of 1987, bulldozers rolled in and razed the old place, followed soon by the construction of a brand new shopping plaza, one that retained the Cocoanut Grove name.
For a long time, the new center stayed busy, but a few years back, the place seemed to go downhill and tenants began closing down or moving to other locations. The very last active business in the center was the Athenian Garden Greek Restaurant, and they moved out several months ago to find a new home downtown, at 21 3rd Street North.
I’ve been wondering about Cocoanut Grove each time I drive by, because it’s on a good sized piece of land and it’s in a very good location, one where the right kind of business should be able to thrive. And then, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the new sign spring up in front of the place. Fresh Market.
For those who don’t know Fresh Market, the nearest one is in Clearwater, at 25961 US Highway 19. They’ve been there since 1998, and everyone I know who has ever entered the place has become a devoted fan. Fresh Markets specialize in high quality perishable products, presented in an environment that feels good and by people who seem glad to be working there.
Just to be clear, I’m not getting any kickbacks from Fresh Market! But I want you to have a little feel for what’s coming: Their produce departments have over 400 items, including a large selection of organic produce. Their bakeries sell 30 freshly baked breads each day and 15 varieties of freshly baked pies each day. Their delis have more than 200 varieties of cheeses. They have a full service meat counter with butchers on site. They sell ‘signature’ sandwiches, and you can call or fax ahead to have them ready for pickup.
In addition to all of that, there are all sorts of specialty items that are hard to find in other stores. My wife’s brother lives in San Francisco, and he got us practically addicted to Peet’s coffee, a local brand out there. No chance of finding it here – we either had to wait for her brother to visit or we had to order online. And then we walked into Clearwater’s Fresh Market, and there was Peet’s! Similar scenarios abound through the store.
St. Petersburg’s Fresh Market is scheduled to open in late Summer of 2010. I’ll keep an eye on progress and will update in a few months. Meanwhile, my mouth is watering…
Old Cocoanut Grove Shopping Plaza
I’ve been wondering, do you think they’ll level the place and start from scratch? I expect that they might, but was wondering what you thought. The existing structure does have a bit of charm to it, if it were to be renovated.
I agree that Cocoanut Grove does have some charm – it’s a shame that it wasn’t more successful. As to the plans, it’s my belief that they will not be demolishing – from what I’ve heard, plans are to renovate and add space, ending up with an 18,500 square foot store. But, given the layout of things now, with such a spread out plan and two stories, I am wondering how they can really save any of it. Maybe they’ll end up demolishing. In any case, it’ll be interesting to watch and see the progress!
Great news for St. Pete. I am a former St. Pete resident who recently moved to Clearwater, and I enjoy shopping at Fresh Market at Cypress Point. It’s no Whole Foods, but it is the next best thing.
I agree – I’m looking forward to it – it’ll be five minutes from my home…
I drove by 2 weeks ago and noticed the corner torn up. Since I live in Tampa I couldn’t remember what was missing there. I went online and found your blog and now I know exactly what is gone. Your comments about Peet’s coffee are great. I too think it’s some of the best coffee out there. I get it at Greenwise Market regularly now and you can also find it at Publix (same family), but not sure if it’s at all Publix’s.
Any recent news on the opening date?
Nothing specific – the building is coming along beautifully. I love the tin roof! But I checked last week and the only thing that Fresh Market says is ‘late 2010′. I can’t wait!
But if you just can’t stand waiting and you don’t want to drive all the way to Countryside to the closest Fresh Market, you might want to check out the brand new Messineo’s Market in downtown St. Pete, where the old Atlanta Bread Company used to be, next to Starbucks. It’s at 179 First Ave N. Wonderful selection of fresh produce, mostly organic, great butcher shop with meat and fish displayed and sold the old-fashioned way, fresh bakery goods, and more. Definitely worth checking out!
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