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Plans Announced for Old Winn-Dixie: Store Will Become Shopping Center

Posted on: Tuesday, 31 January 2006, 12:00 CST

By Keith Lawrence, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Jan. 31--The former Winn-Dixie supermarket at 2511 Frederica St. -- the site of Owensboro's first shopping center in 1957 -- will return to its roots later this year.

Sandor Development Co. of Scottsdale, Ariz., a 43-year-old company that owns and operates more than 6.6 million square feet of shopping center space across the country, plans to turn the 48,000-square-foot store into a "boutique shopping center."

The building has been empty since January 2005, when financially troubled Winn-Dixie pulled out of Owensboro and the rest of Kentucky.

Louisville native Eric DeVorkin, a Sandor developer, is in charge of the redevelopment project.

"I believe in Owensboro," said DeVorkin, who took over the 4.69-acre property last summer. "And I believe in that corner. There are a significant number of houses within walking distance on 25th Street and a lot of traffic flow on Frederica."

DeVorkin's plans show two stores of roughly 17,000 square feet each on the section facing Frederica, a 6,000-square-foot store on the building's northwest corner and four small stores -- ranging from 1,280 square feet to 1,500 -- on the side facing 25th Street.

They also show a pad for a stand-alone building -- possibly a coffee shop -- on the southwest corner of the parking lot along Frederica Street.

"That's a pretty solid corner," DeVorkin said. "It shouldn't be a single-use building. We're going to redevelop it this year as a neighborhood shopping center."

On Jan. 30, 1957, the city's first shopping center -- South Frederica Shopping Center -- opened on that corner.

Gabe's Shopping Center at 18th and Triplett streets followed in 1959 and Wesleyan Park Plaza in 1964.

Soon, shopping centers were popping up all over town.

Today, 25th and Frederica is in the middle of town. And "South Frederica" is used to refer to the area outside the U.S. 60 bypass.

In 1989, David Hocker & Associates bought South Frederica Shopping Center, tore it down and built the Winn-Dixie store in 1992-93.

But before the Winn-Dixie store was built, Kroger was planning a 60,000-square-foot superstore on the site. That deal fell through in 1988.

DeVorkin said he hears that Kroger is planning to take over the Macy's lease in Wesleyan Park Plaza-- when that store moves to Towne Square Mall later this year-- and expand its 40,000-square-foot supermarket next door.

An expanded Kroger store in Wesleyan Park would help bring traffic to other businesses in midtown, he said.

One of the businesses DeVorkin is talking to is a neighborhood grocery store, he said.

He's also talking to a furniture store, video store, hair salon, hardware store and a dry cleaner, DeVorkin said.

"We can start on renovations as soon as we sign one of our major tenants," he said. "The most important thing is finding the kingpin. We just need one of the people we're talking to to pull the trigger."

DeVorkin said he's impressed with what's happening in that part of the city.

"I love the bank building across the street," he said. "And the Walgreens and Starbucks."

A new 24-hour car wash is about to open across Frederica Street.

DeVorkin said he has had a couple of offers from other people interested in the property.

"But they weren't offers I couldn't refuse," he said. "This is a pretty solid corner and I want to be part of it."

Plans show the new center with a brown, tan and red color scheme.

"I wanted to add a rich color," DeVorkin said. "It fits with the bank next door."

The parking lot will be redesigned to improve traffic flow for the shopping center.

DeVorkin said he's not sure what the final cost of the project will be.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

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Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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