The Publix grocery store plaza at Babcock Street and Palm Bay Road is offically gone. Flattened! Does anyone remember the other stores that used to be there? I recall a furniture store, a Rainbow clothing shop, and maybe even a Radio Shack.
What’s replacing the old Palm Bay Shopping Center? A brand-new build from Benderson Development featuring a modern two-story Publix with an upstairs café overlooking the floor. The redeveloped plaza will also bring inline storefronts and up to three outparcels for drive-thrus, restaurants, or other retail. Is there room for a car wash? Just asking.
While heavy equipment works on clearing the dust at Babcock and Palm Bay Road, it’s far from the only project shifting the landscape around town. Here is a quick look at other developments sneaking onto my radar.
Harbor Pointe Apartments: A proposed 352-unit multi-family development spanning 21.8 acres at the northwest corner of US-1 and Robert J. Conlan Boulevard NE, featuring a 1.9-acre commercial outparcel fronting Dixie Highway along Palm Bay's Bayfront CRA corridor.
Wawa & CVS: Retail momentum continues to surge along Palm Bay's western frontier at the intersection of Malabar Road and St. Johns Heritage Parkway. City filings detail plans for a 6,374-square-foot Wawa gas station and convenience store on the southwest corner, while a proposed CVS and retail development will anchor the northeast corner opposite Publix Super Market at Heritage Square.
I’ll be doing my best to follow these projects—and dozens of others—while still sharing the everyday stories that make up 321 South. Subscribe to stay updated with my updates!
— Nathan
K-Mart at north end, Radio Shack at south end, and TAPS Bar, Publix, and Beef O'Bradys in the center.