So It Begins

Construction of the new Publix has finally started at Water Tower Place on the edge of Celebration. Right now it's more like DEstruction, since they're knocking down plenty of buildings to whip the world's most poorly designed shopping center into a layout that actually makes sense.

The new Publix won't really be all that much closer than the current one, which sits at 192 and International Drive. The difference is perhaps a quarter of a mile, but it still feels like Paradise to have a store in town (well, kind of...Water Tower is still technically Celebration, even if it's as much on the outskirts as you can possibly get).

The big difference between the two locations is that we'll no longer have to cross 192. Getting to the current Publix means two stop lights and, at busy times of year, a heck of a lot of tourist traffic that makes that quarter mile feel much, much longer.

You can't take a NEV to the current Publix because the 192 speed limit is too high. Even if it weren't such a move would be blatantly suicidal. Let's see: small, plastic, electric-powered vehicle vs. lost tourist in metal minivan making an abrupt three-lane change at 50 mph. No question who'd come out on the losing end of that road war. When the new Publix is done, NEVs can take Celebration Ave. to the grocery store with decidedly better odds, although the Ave. gets scary at times, too.

If I ever feel ambitious, I'll be able to bike to the new Publix. That reminds me of the early days of my marriage, when I lived in a townhome literally within spitting distance of Da Jewels, which is the Chicago equivalent of Publix. A gallon of milk, some fresh veggies, or burgers for the grill were less than a five minute stroll away. While the new store won't be quite that convenient, it'll be as close as someone living in East Village will ever come, unless they someday plop a Winn-Dixie on the soccer field.

While the grocery store is the main excitement in town, we're getting another sign of civilization, too: our very own Panera Bread. Like the Publix, it'll be on the outskirts of town, near the office buildings on Celebration Place. That's fine with me, as that'll give it a much better chance of survival than it would ever have if it were downtown.

Granted, we do have a lot of restaurants that have made it downtown for years, but I've seen plenty come and go over the years. The only big chain place in downtown Celebration is Starbucks, and that brand has an uncanny ability to attract huge mobs of followers no matter where you put it. I swear, you could build a Starbucks on the moon, and the next morning there would be a line around the store. Not only do we have our downtown Starbucks, but also one just across from Water Tower Place. I visit both about equally, and they're always equally busy.

Still, I think it will help the Panera to be able to draw from Celebration residents, people who work in the office buildings, and those passing by on 192 who succumb to its siren song. There's a decent chunk of land where it's going in, so maybe it's the harbinger of other restaurants and stores to come.

Starbucks, Publix, Panera, and who knows what else...our sleepy little town has finally hit the big time.

Here's a list of my current ebooks, including a Kindle and Nook version of the early years of this blog:

• 10 Money-Saving Tips for Your Disney World Vacation: Kindle or Nook
• 10 Disney Cruise Line Tips for Adults: Kindle or Nook
• Mickey Mouse is My Neighbor (life in Celebration, FL): Kindle or Nook
• Complete eBook Guide to SeaWorld Orlando: Kindle or Nook
• 15 Tips for Saving Money on Disney Cruise Line: Kindle or Nook
• 25 Tips for Visiting Disney World With Babies, Toddlers & Young Kids: Kindle or Nook
• eBook Guide to Legoland Florida: Kindle and Nook
• Legoland Florida for Adults: Kindle and Nook
  

Mickey Mouse is My Neighbor

Well, I've finally done it. I've long wanted to adapt my Celebration, FL, blog into a book, and I finally released the eBook on Amazon for Kindle and Barnes & Noble for Nook. If you read my blog regularly, you'll already know the stories of stalking Davy Jones, fighting rampant Florida wildlife, visiting the nudist camp, and the like. I took my favorite blog entries for the first two years, edited them a bit, and put them together into an easy package.



As I worked on the book, I was amazed at how much has changed since I started this blog back in 2004. I lamented about how the proposed condos would worsen the parking problems downtown and how, at the time, there was no viable solution on the table. Guess what? Parking is even more of a nightmare, particularly during special events, and no solution ever materialized. Worse yet, the housing bubble burst just in time to burn pretty much everyone who bought those condos.

I also lamented about Water Tower Place. Little did I know that the failure of Goodings and the initial store closures were just the start of a dizzying revolving door of businesses that opened and closed shortly thereafter, sometimes literally overnight. Hopefully the coming of Publix will give that story a happy ending.

Celebration is a much different town now. Many of the old special events are gone, but the fake leaves and snow still fall on Market Street and we still have some pretty cool happenings. Our town isn't nearly as pristine as it once was. Just about every street, including mine, has at least one obvious foreclosure. We also had our first official murder and a horribly tragic incident involving police barricades and a suicide. Both of those incidents made national news because, of course, we're the "Disney Town," and things like that shouldn't happen here. In reality, I'm amazed that it took for long for major tragedy to touch us.

Our little town, nestled just outside of Disney World, is all grown up now, with the attendant woes of adolescence and adulthood. There's still no place I'd rather be, and I'm already wondering what I'll think when I look back on this period in my blog a few years down the road. I hope I'm still as happy here then as I still am now.

The Secret is Finally Out and Publix is Finally In

Not too long ago, I blogged about the worst kept secret in Osceola County: that Publix is coming to the Water Tower shopping center that sits on the edge of Celebration, right at the interaction of Celebration Avenue and 192. It's languished ever since it was built, going through stores like Snooki goes through nooki partners.

Below, in its entirety, is the press release that finally confirms the coming of Publix:

CLARION PARTNERS ACQUIRES SHOPPING CENTER IN
CELEBRATION, FLORIDA FOR $18.3 MILLION
NEW YORK – Clarion Partners, a leading real estate investment manager, has
acquired the Water Tower Shoppes, a 120,000 square foot neighborhood
shopping center in Celebration, Florida for $18.3 million, it was announced today.
The acquisition was made on behalf of a commingled fund advised by Clarion.
Celebration is an award-winning planned community located in central
Florida, approximately 20 miles southwest of downtown Orlando and within easy
driving distance of Walt Disney World and other major Florida attractions. As
envisioned by the Disney Development Company, it features a small town
aesthetic and buildings designed by world-class architects, including Michael
Graves, Philip Johnson, and Robert M. Stern.
The Water Tower Shoppes is a “village” configuration, located at the
entrance to the town at the intersection of Celebration Avenue and US 192.
Current tenants include SunTrust, Exxon, and Chick-fil-A. Following the
acquisition, Clarion, together with development manager and leasing agent
Crossman & Company, plans to begin redevelopment of the center, including the
introduction of Publix, a dominant grocery chain, to anchor the center.
Celebration benefits from the area’s moderate living costs and from its
proximity to one of the country’s major vacation destinations, where a recovery in
the tourism industry is driving renewed growth. Median household income in the
town is approximately 42 percent above that of the greater metropolitan area.
Demand for retail space is expected to strengthen in 2012, while limited new
construction is likely to help reduce vacancy rates over the next several years.
“Celebration is a unique place in a great location with very attractive
demographics,” said Marc DeLuca, Director at Clarion. “We are pleased to have
New York, February 1, 2012
the opportunity to acquire the Water Tower Shoppes center, and look forward to
further enhancing the shopping experience there for residents of the town.”

Not only am I glad that eventually I won't have to leave The Bubble to buy groceries, but I'm also hoping that new ownership brings some stability to the revolving door of tenants who have come and gone at Water Tower over the years. The names include chains like Planet Smoothie and a short-lived Ace Hardware, along with independent stores like coffee shops, restaurants, vitamin shops, and even an indoor kids' playground. The latest casualty was Magic Nails, a manicure and pedicure salon that disappeared pretty much literally overnight.

Does Publix have what it takes to wrestle Water Tower out of its death throes and give it new life? It's certainly a well-known brand name here in Florida, and the Publix just down the road does a healthy business. Presumably that one will close when ours opens, but will its customers follow it down the road?

Only time will tell, but I'm glad Captain Obvious has finally spoken and the store is confirmed once and for all.

If you're planning to visit Legoland Florida, I just released a comprehensive ebook guide available for both Kindle and Nook.

The Worst Kept Secret

Once upon a time, many, many years ago, the Water Tower Place shopping center on the edge of Celebration, poised at Celebration Avenue and 192, had a grocery store called Goodings. It opened, stumbled along for a couple of months, then closed its doors for good. Sadly, it wasn't alone, as a whole parade of stores followed as victims of the poorly-planned commercial center. There was Planet Smoothie, a video store, multiple coffee shops and restaurants, an electronics store, a vitamin shop, a clothing boutique, and too many more to list.

Water Tower Place had several things working against it from Day One. First, its signs are nearly invisible from 192. Celebration doesn't have the population density to support the center on its own, yet the tourists who might bring their precious dollars never know it's there. Second, its design is insanely bad. The entrances are awkward, the buildings are arranged illogically, and a hunk of land, loosely known as a "park," was plopped down in the parking lot for no reason other than to further doom any chance of success.

A few businesses have managed to cling to life, among them two bank branches, Joe's Crab Shack, Chik-Fil-A, Mobil, and a Goodyear that recently converted to a Pep Boys. But overall, by starting a business in Water Tower, you were essentially conceding instant defeat. Ironically, stores like CVS and Starbucks thrive just across the street. I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fact that they're highly visible from 192, have easy entrances and exits, and huge eye-grabbing signs.

The game changed recently when one of the worst-kept secrets in Celebration leaked out. I heard about it early on, since I'm involved with the library and it required closure/moving of our little Celebration branch, which is located in Water Tower Place. Word was that a grocery store with a name beginning with the letter P was going to grab a massive hunk of space, including the former Goodings and the wing that contained the library. P...Publix...not hard to deduce.

Of course, there's a Publix just a few blocks away on the other side of 192, but who's to say it wouldn't move if Water Tower offered a sweeter deal? They don't own their current building, so moving would be inconvenient but possible. Employees I spoke to at the store when the rumors first gained steam acted like the new store was common knowledge

Speculation was rampant on The Front Porch, our community intranet. Dare we hope for a place to shop that wouldn't force us to leave The Bubble? Then, in October, someone dug up some interesting plans that pretty much confirmed the unspoken but widely known fact.

Now the Orlando Business Journal has picked up on our poorly kept secret. No one from Publix or Water Tower will confirm the information, but that's not really necessary anyway. If I had some big bucks to bet, I'd wager them on a grocery store finally returning to the derelict little shopping center. It's a good think for Celebration and also for the few remaining merchants, who might get some foot traffic to help them stay afloat. Of course, I'm banking on the fact that the Power of Publix will mean razing the pathetic little park, making some real driveways, and maybe even placing a sign among the huge, gaudy neon billboards proclaiming every other store and restaurant in the area other than those in Water Tower.

Will Publix break the Water Tower Curse, or will the curse claim Publix? We'll know in a year or two.