Publix is telling West Palm Beach officials that its planned downtown supermarket could be in jeopardy unless the city grants design exemptions the grocer says it needs to build the store. The grocery chain wants less open space and fewer active storefronts than downtown rules typically require for its planned store.
The warning, reported by The Palm Beach Post, comes as the project moves through a city approval process. The West Palm Beach Downtown Action Committee has discussed the proposal, endorsing a waiver and supporting proposed rules, according to the same outlet.
Why Publix Is Asking For So Many Exemptions
To get there, Publix is seeking waivers from downtown rules on ground-floor active storefront requirements and open space, per the same outlet's report. Downtown master plan rules typically require active ground-floor retail and open space to keep street life humming, but a standard grocery footprint — even a two-story urban prototype with covered parking — demands significant back-of-house space, loading docks, and surface parking that can clash with those goals.
The Downtown Action Committee has discussed the project's waiver requests, and the City Commission must still approve it. Discussion has focused on Rosemary Avenue and project parking.
A Bigger Store To Replace A Cramped One
The Banyan Boulevard project would replace an existing Publix and could free land for redevelopment. The proposal would bring a new grocery store to downtown.
Assembling the Banyan site required a public-private land deal. Publix placed 2.3 acres under contract from developer Related Ross, which had bought the parcels for $15 million in 2022, and the City Commission approved selling roughly 0.8 acres of city-owned surplus land to Publix for $3.52 million back in March, according to The Real Deal. That municipal sale came with a restrictive covenant requiring Publix to operate a grocery store on the site for at least 15 years.
Potential Redevelopment Nearby
The stakes extend well beyond one grocery store. Replacing an existing Publix could free land for Stephen Ross to redevelop, according to the South Florida Business Journal. A mixed-income complex called Sapodilla is also planned.
A Downtown Reshaping Fast
The push for more downtown grocery capacity comes amid residential growth across the urban core. Major financial firms are also part of the picture in West Palm Beach.
Grocery competition downtown has already been shifting. Eataly opened a 23,000-square-foot Italian marketplace and specialty grocery inside the renovated Harriet Himmel Hall at CityPlace in April, giving shoppers another food destination that blends full-service restaurants, quick-service counters, and retail markets under one roof, Hoodline reported.
For now, the Banyan Boulevard project's fate rests on whether Publix and city officials can reach a compromise on ground-floor streetscape design and open-space waivers without derailing the store entirely. The Downtown Action Committee has supported a requested waiver and proposed rules, while the project still requires City Commission approval.
