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Meres Town Center Sweetbay opens today

Mark Schantz/SUNCOAST

The Sweetbay Supermarket in Tarpon Springs, scheduled to open Saturday, Nov. 14, was constructed to green LEED standards.

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: November 14, 2009

TARPON SPRINGS - The area's first supermarket constructed to environmentally friendly building standards will debut 7 a.m. Saturday.

The store at the southeastern corner of Pinellas Avenue and Meres Boulevard meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification standards. LEED standards seek to ensure buildings are created in an environmentally sustainable manner.

A supermarket spokeswoman said the opening of the 104th Sweetbay Supermarket marks the grocery chain's fifth anniversary. A subsidiary of Belgian food retailer Delhaize Group, Tampa-based Sweetbay Supermarket was known as Kash n' Karry prior to 2004.

The 37,500-square-foot supermarket has to open before it officially qualifies for LEED certification.

The City Commission last week praised the developers of Meres Town Center, Community Reinvestment Partners II and AG Development LLC, Sweetbay Supermarket Inc. for developing a project eligible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

Nicole LeBeau, the Sweetbay spokeswoman, said the opening of "this energy efficient store marks a bright future for the company and its local community.

We've made a commitment to putting the people, planet and product first."

The stores downtown location, for example, means many people will be able to get to by foot, on bicycles or via public transportation, LeBeau said.

Other store green-design features include: low-flow water faucets and toilets; landscape irrigation using reclaimed waste water; and parking spaces that can accommodate fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles and car and van pools.

Even store operations take energy saving and sustainability into account, LeBeau said. Earth- friendly cleaners and compact fluorescent bulbs are used in the store.

In addition, it sells produce from area sources, reducing the amount of carbon-based fuel needed for deliveries.

The health of customers and employees has been taken into account as well. The store's air-conditioning system brings in 30 percent more fresh air and smoking in banned within 25 feet of entrances, according to LeBeau.

This week the store is featuring various price reductions to celebrate its opening and the chain's five-year anniversary.

Meres Town Center will be completed in phases. In addition to the Sweetbay Supermarket, it will have other retail and office space, a medical arts complex and a senior living center.

As part of the project, Meres Boulevard is being extended from Alt. 19 to U.S. 19.

Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

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