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Publix store on South Broad Street hits roadblock

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 8/6/14. A line wrapping around the store forms as customers wait for Chattanooga's newest Publix Supermarket to open its doors at 7am on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. The first 50 customers received a free bag of groceries valued at $25 from the North Shore store. Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 8/6/14. A line wrapping around the store forms as customers wait for Chattanooga's newest Publix Supermarket to open its doors at 7am on Wednesday, August 6, 2014. The first 50 customers received a free bag of groceries valued at $25 from the North Shore store.

By Mike Pare June 11, 2018 4 min read

WHAT’S NEXT

The developer of a proposed South Broad Street Publix supermarket was given up to 60 days to work with planners and neighbors to address concerns.

A proposal for a new Publix off South Broad Street ran into a roadblock Monday as planners and neighbors pressed a developer for a more urban look and feel to the supermarket.

“This plan is very far away from the millions of dollars in investment put into the area,” said Blythe Bailey, a Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission member, at a meeting. “It behooves the development team to really work hard to get something acceptable.”

What many people indicated they want is for the developer to move at least some of the store up against South Broad rather than putting the building at the rear of the 4-acre lot with parking in front. Such a shift close to the street would meet much of the existing zoning demands of the site and ultimately bolster property values in the neighborhood, they said.

“We don’t need big-box shopping,” said Lindsey Willke, who lives in the area. “We’ll be interested in what they come back with.”