ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The wait continues for people who live near Tangerine Plaza in St. Petersburg.
City leaders now say it will take at least another year before a proposed project to bring a grocery store and other amenities gets started.
Previous stories on Tangerine Plaza
In a recent meeting, city leaders learned developers are considering Taste of the Islands as a grocer to fill the space for the vacant store.
There is another Taste of the Islands market about a mile and a half from the plaza.
Spectrum News was told that the previous owners of Taste of the Market would run the new grocery store in Tangerine Plaza but wouldn’t be operating in the same space that was once home to a Sweet Bay and a Walmart.
The redevelopment project will include affordable housing and a fresh food grocery store on a much smaller scale.
The current owners of Taste of the Islands said it could serve as a blueprint for the project.
“So the original owner started with the store,” said Deluchia Harry. “They’re family members, the supermarket’s now sold to us. The restaurant is still there. They’ve been there since 1992.”
“So, they’ve been always a part of the community and it’s a really great privilege to be associated with them,” she said.
We reached out to the previous owners of Taste of the Islands but haven’t heard back.
The developers told City Council members they’re hoping to break ground on the project by September 2026. The grocery store has been vacant since 2017.