NICEVILLE — Construction of the city’s first Publix grocery is getting closer.
Preliminary building plans were submitted Feb. 7 to Darcey Chaney, Niceville's building inspector. The plans will be reviewed, and any problems will be reported to the company to be fixed before final plans are submitted, Chaney said. He doesn’t expect any delays.
“The company is pretty much up on all the code standards,” he said.
A building permit will be issued after the final plans are approved. Chaney said Publix spoke of starting construction in February, and that still could be possible after the building permit is issued and a lease for the property signed.
Dwaine Stevens, Publix’s media and community relations manager for North Florida, said a lease has not been signed. Publix does not comment on a new store until a lease finalized.
Valparaiso Realty owns the land. It did not respond to messages asking for comment.
The Niceville City Council accepted plans last year for the 45,000-square-foot Publix at John Sims Parkway and Rocky Bayou Drive.
About 13 other stores will be in the development, Chaney said. Shells for the stores ranging from 700 to 2,500 square feet will be built and then modified to the businesses’ needs.
Since the news of Publix’s plans, several businesses have expressed interest in setting up shop alongside it.
“We are going to have a lot of work here,” Chaney said.