With a ground-breaking date still having not been announced, the plans for the whole development have been released for bid. The plans are telling as to the type of store we’ll see and it’s nothing short of exciting for me!
With the Target renovations coming online in the next few days, the new Walmart will definitely give them a run for the money, when they get opened.
Remember, the original projections for the new Walmart predict a ground breaking this spring and about a 12 month construction time. However, as of this post, there hasn’t been any dirt moved yet.
What the plans tell us.
The plans that are available tell us everything from the orientation of the building to the types of sections that exist in side.
Looking at the plans, we have reason to expect the general look and feel will be consistent with Pier Park. We already know the size of the store will be around 70% the size of the Walmart Super Center at the intersection of Middle Beach and Front Beach Roads, or 156,000 square feet.
Looking at the plans, we see a full bakery section, deli (with display coolers), fresh produce, garden center, and other general areas you’d expect to find in a Walmart.
So far, it is looking like an exact replica of the other Walmart, just smaller.
This week Target at Pier Park plans to open it’s new (and highly anticipated as far as I am concerned) produce section, which may or may not be news to you, but could make for quite a standoff in the very near future. As I am sure you’ve read, a plan to build a new Walmart within shouting distance is presenting a potential showdown. But, underlying what could be a price/food/clientele war are the whispered perceptions of what adding a Walmart around the Pier Park area could do to Pier Park’s brand. This war, it seems, will extend beyond the aisles of the respective super-stores and into the dining room discussions of residents all over Panama City Beach in terms of how it will affect things like traffic, businesses and, of course, the inevitable growth towards the West End.
For now, at least, we can all rejoice in the fresh and high quality produce headed our way. In fact, Target is actually a Certified Organic Produce Retailer, which means that much of what you will see in the store should be pretty tasty. And although Target’s offering will not be a substitute for a full-service grocery store, it should make the popular store more of a one-stop-shop.
The war is looming, no doubt, but Target’s little addition is a welcomed one.
Residents of Panama City and Panama City Beach don’t consider themselves art lovers if they have never attended at least one show at the “Martin.” Originally built in 1936, the Martin Theatre first opened it’s door as the “Ritz”, one of a chain of movie houses that covered Georgia, Alabama and NW Florida. Early memories boast visits by such notables as Clark Gable, Constance Bennett, Michael O’Shea, William Boyd, and cowboy great Bill Elliot. The cinema operated until 1978, then sat vacant until 1987 when it was bought by the, then, chairman on the Panama City Downtown Improvement Board, H. Mack Lewis. It reopened in 1990 as an entertainment facility and to this day, the 460-seat state-of-the-art facility is known for hosting many popular plays and attractions.
But times have been a’changing.
The Martin brass is considering taking the downtown staple back to it’s roots and they need your help. Should the Martin go back to showing movies? You be the judge…
Click Here to post your thoughts.
The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is coming up in a few short weeks, can you hear those sweet tunes yet? I sure can. In years past, we’ve attended this amazing event, shot tons of fun pictures and brushed shoulders with the best in the Jazz. This year will be the same, and we’re looking forward to good weather, a great lineup and an amazing weekend.
Full schedule of events
Wednesday April 18th
SMOOTH JAZZ DINNER CRUISE presented by ResortQuest featuring Brian Culbertson
The Lady Anderson Dinner Yacht, Panama City Beach
6:30pm Boarding
7pm-10pm – Sailing the waterways
Thursday April 19th – 3pm FREE EVENT
Seabreeze Jazz Festival Kickoff Party
Featuring Urban Jazz Coalition and Friends
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville in Pier Park – Panama City Beach, FL
Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater
(Gates open at 5 pm)
6PM – The Seabreeze Groove Project” featuring Four 80 East, Matt Marshak, and Shilts
8PM – “R n R” featuring Richard Elliot and Rick Bruan
Friday April 20th
Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater
(Gates open at 5 pm)
6PM Vincent Ingala and Chris Geith (Seabreeze Rising Stars)
7:15pm Urban Jazz Coalition
8:30pm Brian Culbertson
After Party
10:30pm Seabreeze After Party Jam – hosted by Nick Collione
Reggae J’s at Pier Park sponsored by Smooth Jazz.com
Saturday April 21st
Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater
(Gates open at 10 am)
11:30am Down To The Bone
1:30pm Jazz In Pink featuring Cindy Bradley, Althea Rene, Karen Briggs, Gail Jhonson, Mariea Antoninette, and others
3:30pm Nick Colionne
5:30pm Seabreeze Smooth Jazz All Stars featuring Eric Darius, Brian Simpson, Maysa, and Phil Perry
8PM Fourplay
After Party
10:30pm Seabreeze After Party Jam – hosted by Brian Culbertson
Reggae J’s at Pier Park sponsored by Smooth Lounge.com
Sunday April 22nd
Main Stage — Pier Park Amphitheater
(Gates open at 10 am)
11:30am Alexander Zonjic and Jeff Lorber
1pm Street Corner Renaissance
2pm Mindi Abair featuring Jeff Golub and David Pack
4pm Trombone Shorty
6pm Dave Koz
Ticket pricing and where to buy
Tickets
Seabreeze Jazz Dinner Cruise — $145 per person SOLD OUT
Four day pass — $200 per person
Three day pass — $150 per person
Single day pass — $80 per person
VIP four day pass — $575 per person SOLD OUT
VIP four day reserved table for 10 — $7000 per table
The festival promoters have said that no coolers are allowed, just a small, personal insulated tote no more than 12 inches high. They’ve stated that no alcohol is permitted and attendees have their chairs out of their bags upon entry.
In what was a badly pitted, scared and bruised playground surface, the Frank Brown Park Playground safety surface has finally been replaced. When they first opened the playground in 2000, it was celebrated and welcomed. Over the years it’s been heavily used, and I for one have been there like a million times.
What’s new
You may remember how battered the previous safety surface was. Well, that’s gone and a new one has been installed. And it looks beautiful. The material is padded and protects against falls and injury.
The old one looked patched and dingy, but the new one looks cohesive and has that new padded-surface-smell.
They also replaced the fencing around the outside of the playground and replaced the table tops for the picnic benches.
This week we went up to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport and took a tour of the facility, got some cool footage of planes taking off and talked to the Deputy Executive Director, Parker McClellan.
Panama City Beach just crushes the previously held Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Bikini Parade yesterday by 93! The previous record was held by the Gold Coast in Australia – Gold Coast beat the previous record by just 26. This just says, if you’re gonna beat a record, might as well go big!
I’m excited to be at any event where something extraordinary has happened, and Panama City Beach just destroyed a record, which I thought would be beat by maybe 2 or 3, maybe 20 people, but just. . . they crushed it, so I’m thrilled to be here. ~ Philip Robertson, Guinness World Records Judge
Yesterday 450 bikini-clad women, young and old, marched down the beach in front of Harpoon Harry’s in Panama City Beach, wearing signature hats to identify them as official parade participants to the judges. It was almost as if it was meant to be – with gloomy weather almost daily for the last couple weeks, yesterday was literally picturesque; blue skies, warm weather made everything perfect.
The previous record
Previously held by Gold Coast Australia, the last record breaking event was held in October of last year. The record Panama City Beach had to break was 357. The record Gold Coast broke was 331, set by the Cayman Islands in 2010. The Gold Coast is already talking of a record next year, so no telling how long Panama City Beach will get to keep that record.
Although, Panama City Beach completely crushed the previous record capturing 26% more bikini parade goers than the previous record. So for the next runner up, they’ll have to put together quite a gathering!
Couldn’t have been a better day
The weather was fantastic yesterday; sunny, blue skies, warm, in the 70’s. Spring Breakers from all over the south east, residents and others that wanted in on the challenge gathered on the beach behind Harpoon Harry’s beachfront restaurant in Panama City Beach for the parade. At about 11:30 am on Tuesday March 6, the parade began and walked down the beach, under the M.B. Miller (county) pier and back again.
The official announcement of the results was made around 12:30pm and was solidified with the cheers of hundreds of attendees chanting USA, USA, USA!
Quotes from the event
We want to be on top, but the publicity that goes with it – we want people to see this beach and just know how beautiful it is. It really is a national treasure. ~ Gayle Oberst, Mayor of Panama City Beach
This is wonderful. Panama City Beach is known for being a Real Fun Beach, where kids of all ages come to the beach to have a good time. And breaking the record today – not by a little bit, but by a hundred folks – really is wonderful. . . It’s hard to get 358 people all together at the same time, even on a beach like Panama City Beach, where folks are down here in the thousands. But today, the girls came out, everybody had a really good time, highlighting that Panama City Beach is truly one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. ~ Dan Rowe, President/CEO, Panama City Beach CVB
We planned this. It’s been on my Facebook for weeks. . . Tears came in my eyes. Like it’s, legit. This was one of the most exciting moments of my life, I’m gonna tell my kids about this. ~ Some random spring breaker bikini parade participant
I was 357 and she was like 358 in line. So we were like WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!! ~ The actual “record holder” spring breaker.
This was awesome. It was my first opportunity to be a part of a world record. I am so excited, because my name’s going to be on it. That’s sweet. It’s awesome. ~ An excited participant.
What it did for Panama City Beach in the press
Setting a world record is cool, but what it does to solidify our place on the map is enormous! Just by setting the record, Panama City Beach was picked up in national publications yesterday and today, has been talked about in local papers around the country citing that the USA has captured this record and countless others that aren’t showing up in the almighty google I’m sure are taking place.
Again, I’ve got to hand it to the promoters of this challenge. People are literally talking about Panama City Beach everywhere!
If you’re still planning your family spring break trip to the beach, there are still some sweet deals to be had down here at the beach. We have a number of condos in family friendly resorts that are nicely amenitized (like that made-up word?) and guaranteed to provide you with a blast of a vacation.
Here are some sweet deals in all of our condos. These prices are good for the rest of March and the first week in April. The “April” rate starts that second week in April. The second week in April, all the prices drop quite a bit. While some of these condos are available for less than a week, I’m just showing the weekly rates.
I should also note, these rates include all taxes and all fees. The price below is the final out the door price.
Because we love you, and we know you love us. Well, almost all of you love us. Some of you don’t love us. But we still love you. 🙂 — — We have a super special deal just for you!
Can you say promo code?
Yep, since you’re a reader of PCBDaily.com, we have a special promo code you can use when you book with us online. Just use promo code “pcbdaily” for a super fast 5% off!
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