Publix, Northcrest plaza to open soon

Northcrest Plaza at the corner of Highway 85 north and Airport Road will soon be home to a Publix, Publix Liquors, Wendy's and five other storefronts. [ALICIA ADAMS | News Bulletin]

CRESTVIEW — Construction of the North Crestview Publix Supermarket is on track, according to the company’s media relations department, and should be opening before 2018.

The grocery store's construction and that of six additional storefronts began in August 2016 on North Ferdon Boulevard at the corner of Airport Road — a plaza called Northcrest.

According to Dwaine Stevens, media and community relations manager for Publix, the project is on schedule. In a June interview with the News Bulletin, Stevens said the location was set to open in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter, meaning they originally projected a September or October completion.

According to a presentation done by Crossman and Company, the regional real estate company overseeing leasing of the Northcrest storefronts, the Publix grand opening is scheduled for November 2017.

The store will be 45,600 square feet with all traditional departments and a drive-thru pharmacy. The adjacent storefront, measuring 1,400 square feet, will be the Publix Liquors store. The plaza will also include a Wendy’s fast-food burger chain separate from the conjoined storefronts.

Of the five additional 1,400-square-foot facilities, three are available to rent through Crossman and Company. The properties are available immediately, and the company has the prices listed as negotiable.

Two tenants will soon occupy the other properties, but Crestview Public Works Director Wayne Steele said he is not authorized to comment on the status of private developments.

According to the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s website, a company called Crestview North, LLC purchased the parcel of land where Northcrest sits on Jan. 27, 2017 for $3,144,000. White Development Company is the real estate developer overseeing the project.

According to their business profiles, Crestview North and White Development share the same address in Clearwater, Florida. White Development has overseen several Publix locations in the southeast; of the nine retail centers developed by White, eight are Publix-centered, like Northcrest.

Neither the Crestview Public Works Department nor the Publix corporate office were able to share the cost of the project, and White Development has not replied to requests for the cost as of this writing.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Publix, Northcrest plaza to open soon