BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
STARKE — Starke City Hall has shared that T.J. Maxx will join Five Below as the latest additions to the Bradford Square Shopping Center.
Five Below was previously announced after news that Harbor Freight was opening in the shopping center. The parking lot has recently been resurfaced as part of the revitalization.
Five Below is a discount retailer aimed at teens and tweens, while T.J. Maxx has clothing and accessories for the whole family as well as furniture and decor.
Wawa, the gas station and convenience store previously thought to be coming to Starke, could now be locating next to Bradford Square at the northwest corner of U.S. 301 and Edwards Road. The city building office said the property has been purchased and they are waiting on permit submittals.
Plans, however, have already been submitted for the two Bradford Square retailers. All that remains if for the construction contracts to be awarded before work begins.
Other projects in the works are an addition at Pipeline Contractors, plans for which are under review, the rehabilitation of Orangewood Apartments and a new duplex on Orange Street with two-bedroom and two-bathroom units, 1,151 square-feet in size. These housing projects have submitted plans and are also waiting on contractors.
Starke also has a 22-home project on North Westmoreland Street on hold while commissioners consider approval of the site plan.
By the sound of it, there will be more announcements coming.
“We’ve been getting several calls regarding various potential projects,” City Clerk Jimmy Crosby said.
A small chain restaurant, fast food restaurant, carwashes, a grocery store and an RV-style resort have all expressed interest in coming to Starke, and there have been additional inquiries about available retail space.
“One of the things we’ve learned is that whoever has the water has the economic development,” Crosby said.
The city and county have been working together on improving infrastructure, including the reconstruction of the city’s wastewater plant, rehabilitation of the wastewater collection system and expansion of those services out to the bypass on State Road 16.
Crosby said he left Tallahassee last week encouraged by meetings with both environmental and economic development agencies about funding assistance for such projects in rural communities.
“They are realizing that is going to be the new field of opportunity, and that’s kind of interesting for Starke because we’ve not grown in the last 50 years,” Crosby said.
According to the clerk, that growth is coming, ready or not.
“What’s happening is that everything is squeezing in on us, with 1.5 million people within 50 miles of us. They’re coming whether we build it or not. There’s going to be growth, it’s just a matter whether there’s going to be planned growth or not,” he said.
Crosby said both the city and county commissioners have been leaders in this, including the county’s contribution of federal funding to water and wastewater expansion of the city’s use of the same for the City Walk project to help revitalize downtown following years of transportation construction.
These investments encourage cooperation in Tallahassee for funding local projects, according to Crosby.
“That’s what they’re looking for in Tallahassee. Are you doing your part? We’ll help you.”
