Old strip center to be redeveloped into Starbucks drive-thru in prime South Tampa spot
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 30, 2017

A St. Petersburg developer will demolish a strip of aging storefronts on South Dale Mabry Highway to make way for a new Starbucks Inc. drive-thru in one of South Tampa's prime retail nodes.

J Square Developers is planning to begin construction Tuesday on the project at 1300 S. Dale Mabry Highway, which is adjacent to Wright's Gourmet House and across the street from Publix Super Markets Inc. It is about two-and-half blocks from where Sprouts Farmers Market Inc. opened at the corner of South Dale Mabry and West Estrella Street.

The existing strip center is 6,000 square feet; the new freestanding Starbucks will be 2,200 square feet with 28 parking spaces.

American Momentum is providing a $2.2 million construction loan for the project, the developer said in a statement.

It is the third Starbucks drive-thru in South Tampa; the others are on West Gandy Boulevard and West Kennedy Boulevard. There is a Starbucks less than a mile from the new one on South Dale Mabry, at Dale Mabry and Azeele, but it does not have a drive-thru.

"We explored many possible tenants before closing the deal with Starbucks,” Jay Miller, president of J Square Developers, said in a statement. "They were looking for a South Tampa location with a drive-thru and ample parking, and this happened to be the perfect location.”

The project is the latest retail redevelopment play in South Tampa, where several older properties have been demolished to make way for new buildings - and new tenants. The Sprouts-anchored center at Dale Mabry and Estrella was previously home to Palma Ceia Liquors.

Less than two miles from the site of the new Starbucks is a new retail development - home to Another Broken Egg Cafe, Jeremiah's Italian Ice, Tijuana Flats and soon, Buffalo Wild Wings and Smashburger - that replaced another aging center in 2016.

"This area of South Dale Mabry is ripe for redevelopment," Miller said. "The existing retail properties are getting older and many do not meet contemporary development requirements in terms of parking. However, the real estate is in a prime location, surrounded by strong neighborhood demographics.”

J Square and American Momentum have partnered on projects before, including the development of the Trader Joe's in St. Petersburg.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is senior reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.