18 hours ago
Deerwood Village shops still lose business as Publix construction drags on
Months after Action News Jax first reported on the issue, businesses in Deerwood Village say they are still dealing with major disruptions caused by ongoing construction on a new Publix.
The project, which started last October at the corner of Baymeadows and Southside Boulevard, has taken a toll on local shops. Publix customer service said the project should be finished by December. Until then, some businesses have resorted to putting up signs to remind customers they're still open and how to find them.
It's been a long and frustrating wait for shop owners and customers in Deerwood Village.
'I talked with the business owners and everybody's having a hard time,' said Patrick O'Brien, a worker at Great Clips in the plaza.
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Before the construction started, customers said parking wasn't a problem.
'Well, before, we used to have three or four rows of parking out here. There was plenty of space for everybody,' said customer Colin Buchner.
That all changed once the construction began.
'There's a huge parking lot out there. You figured they could at least maybe get half of it done and give us some of the parking back,' O'Brien said.
Drone footage captured in February showed the early stages of construction. New footage now shows the foundation is taking shape.
'We heard that Publix will be done sometime in December,' Buchner said.
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But for businesses like Scramblers, the impact has been severe.
The owner told Action News Jax back in February that foot traffic had dropped dramatically.
This week, the owner said in a text message that the business has been down substantially since they lost their parking lot.
Since losing their parking lot, the restaurant has seen a major decline in customers. They previously served more than 50 people a day, but now only a handful of customers come in daily, and most tables sit empty.
'A lot of our customers are elderly or senior citizens. They are having a hard time locating our place because of the maze, which is what we call the parking lot out there. Then if it rains, they will also have a hard time getting here,' O'Brien said.
'We got signs out there, and they're still having a hard time getting to us. Every time they come in, they complain a little bit more and a little bit more. We're trying to keep our business going and offer what we can, like coupons and discounts. For the most part, it's been a nightmare.'
Shop owners said even getting access to part of their former parking area would make a big difference in helping their businesses survive until the construction is finished.
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We also contacted District 11 City Council Member Raul Arias to see if he could provide any insight into the situation in his district.
His office gave this statement:
'After looking into the matter. Councilman Arias doesn't represent Publix or the possible landlord. As such, we do not have any authority to dictate the schedule of events relating to their construction, nor do we have access to those documents.
'We assume the landlord has provided some sort of rental relief agreement with the other tenants in the shopping center. Though, as this is a private agreement, this is out of our jurisdiction.'
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