ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Cart corrals with Walmart logos at Tangerine Plaza are an everyday reminder for Alex Smiley of the business he used to have at Meme's Beauty Gallery.
“As soon as the Walmart closed, everything went down," he said. "The cliental went down, the walk-ins went down. It just hurt our business in all types of ways."
First it was Sweetbay that closed in 2013, then last year the Walmart Neighborhood Market also closed it’s doors.
Now the City of St. Petersburg hopes to turn the space into something the community really needs.
Kanika Tomalin, the city's deputy mayor, is confident things will be different this time.
The city is taking their time to develop a sustainable plan, which includes getting feedback from people in the community and hiring a consulting firm for guidance.
The recommendation - Having a grocery store that’s half the size of the old Walmart.
“That's possible, it looks like that is a most sustainable option," Tomalin said. "There needs to be some sort of food offering. Whether it's a food hub or a traditional grocery story with a smaller footprint."
City leaders are also requesting proposals from businesses wanting to bring new and fresh ideas to the area.
Gail Lovett, who lives near Tangerine Plaza, says people who don’t have vehicles have been struggling to get groceries.
“It's a lot of elderly people out here and they don't have a way to get around," she said. "We need a grocery store over here."
Just across the street from Tangerine Plaza, a plot of land with the sign “coming soon” says a new gas station, medical clinic and restaurant will be opening.
City officials, along with many in the community, say that is exactly what they need to get more businesses to come to this area and stay.
Midtown resident Devron Gibbons' firm TLM Investment Group is behind the $3.5 million development, which has already broke ground.
“This is a neighborhood that deserves to have those amenities, that deserves to have the same thing as any other community,” Gibbons said.
He hopes creating a safe, clean area will help make Tangerine Plaza a hotspot for people in this community.
Gibbons also plans to submit a proposal to revamp the empty building.
Businesses wanting to rent the space have until July 2nd to submit a proposal.
The city is also hosting a walkthrough of Tangerine Plaza on May 9th starting at 10 a.m.
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