Ceremonial groundbreakings can be dull or silly. Not this one—the one that took place earlier today at the intersection of State Road 100 and Commerce Parkway, the road that dead-ends at Bunnell’s First Baptist Church.
Considering how long Flagler Central Commerce Park has been in the works (almost seven years), considering the still-dour economy all around, considering Bunnell’s labors to try to get something—anything—going in town, and considering what the very first business is going to be at the new park (Wendy’s), Thursday’s groundbreaking had the feel of a triple-decker triumph.
And why not? As Richard Quello, the manager for Oare Associates, the park’s developer, put it to a crescent of 32 people gathered for the occasion, “this is a triple celebration. It’s a celebration for Wendy’s. It’s a celebration for Flagler Central Commerce Park. And it’s a celebration for the city of Bunnell. And that is terrific.” The applause was sincere. “We have tried to get the shovel in the ground for six and half years, and I’ve got to be very clear, it was not the city of Bunnell that stopped us from getting the shovel in the ground. The city of Bunnell, the mayor, the vice mayor, the commissioners, Armando, Mick, all the people that are with the city have done a wonderful job and are wonderful to work with, and we appreciate all of their efforts. It wasn’t the city that stopped the progress, it was a few states and federal regulations and permits that we needed.” (Armando Martinez is the Bunnell city manager. He’s been ill and couldn’t attend. Mick Cuthbertson is the city’s development director.)
But as Devnet Services’ Art Barr, who is Oare Associates’ Development manager, put it, established developers with “deep pockets” can weather economic slowdowns and other challenges. “Fortunately the developer, Oare Associates, is very substantial, and obviously this wasn’t their business plan to have it take this long, but they have the staying power to do whatever it takes to ride this out. And we’re prepared to do a joint venture, we’re prepared to build to suit, so we have a tremendous amount of flexibility.” Including, Barr said, that 50,000-square-foot building county economic development officials have been harping about as a necessity for the county, if it’s to attract new industry. Of course, there’d have to be a tenant for the building.
Despite the economic challenges, the company is going ahead with a new store. “Our trends over the last two years have been really good. We’ve not really experienced any sales loss,” Zwirn said. Stores opened a year or more saw sales increase 3.1 percent in the fourth quarter, compared to the same time the previous year. That’s company-wide. Wendy’s doesn’t release individual store figures.
Wendy’s/Arby’s Group Inc. has 10,200 stores in the United States, making it the third biggest restaurant chain in the country. Some 6,500 of those are Wendy’s stores. At the same time that the groundbreaking was taking place in Bunnell, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group announced that it would explore a sale of the Arby’s branch, which it acquired for $2.56 billion in 2008. The company’s stock has fallen 24 percent since that deal even though Standard & Poor’s Supercomposite Restaurants Index rose 47 percent over the same time span. Wendy’s wants to concentrate on its own brand restaurants.
Asked how the area could support a third Wendy’s in the current economy, Zwirn said: “We’re excited to be getting into Bunnell. The potential for growth is what we’re looking at. There’s not a whole lot coming in from U.S. 1 for the south side of Palm Coast until you get to whatever the Target shopping center is called.” He added, “Really, it’s time to let folks know that it’s OK to build in Bunnell.”
Catherine Robinson, Bunnell’s mayor, said the city had been doing its part to get the park going for years, so “to see it come to fruition and start to move dirt is very exciting. If I had to pick a fast-food restaurant, Wendy’s would be the one.” Robinson said the city is “hoping this will be a beginning which will jump off to continue the development of Commerce Park.”
One long-term prospect that would play into partnership possibilities with government: if and when the development makes it to its southernmost phase, Barr and Quello are talking with the federal government about turning the 300-unit residential development in that section, near U.S. 1, into a veterans center—homes for veterans, disabled veterans homeless veterans.
People who attended the ground-breaking had several surprises. Jenny Crain-Brady, Bunnell’s vice mayor, brought Wendy’s Frosties for everyone (small ones: a store elsewhere had donated them). Barr had lined several bricks on a table for guests to take away. The bricks were authentic parts of Flagler County’s Old Brick Road, which ran through the Commerce Park property. They’d been excavated when workers were digging to install utilities.
Then there was Wendy herself in her scarlet pigtails and striped knee-socks, the restaurant chain’s signature… mascot? Doll? Cartoon character? None of those: make that Ashley Brown, who works at the Wendy’s location on Old King’s Road, and volunteered for the gig. Brown, of course, was a hit, and with those Frosties appeared to make up for the missing burgers and fries.
Charles Ericksen Jr says
There is no doubt, that this is just a start for the City of Bunnell, with the vast amount of land available for development ( they are according to some, the second largest land area city in Florida), . They are on the record, as being new business friendly and willing to go the extra effort to make the introduction to breaking ground moment, a reality. Bunnell, may be the answer to Flagler County’s problem with new business growth..
Sendglow says
Great, they are building it just walking distance from the south side, as though we don’t have enough of an obesity problem there XD
stuck in Palm Coast says
Maybe they will be willing to open the businesses that Palm Coast doesn’t approve of.
Geode says
@Sendglow: Walking distance of the Southside? Nobody is going to walk a mile for a frosty. I imagine you already KNOW that already. What happened? You just HAD to get a racist dig in?
Sendglow says
@stuck in Palm Coast: But that would make too much business-sense. I’ve lived in this county for over 20 years, and I’ve seen it only backpedal on adult entertainment. They used to sell mens magazines in all the Kangaroos when they were Li’l Champs, but they did away with that sometime back in the ’90s. Then there were the bikini clubs which were chased out of town despite being nowhere near churches or schools. While I agree that the potential is there, we are still a couple of decades behind places like Daytona where the free market and the religious community coexist peacefully.
heybooboo says
Walking distance from the south side is a benefit for Wendys and Bunnell. Especially for filling jobs. These folks are in desparate need for work and w/o the expense of a car and lower housing expenses will make the wages that much more attractive. And hasn’t anyone heard of walkable communities? This concept is heralded by most progressive community planners. Bunnell is poised perfectly for this kind of development. Live-Work-Shop-Eat-Play
Obesity? Wendys has a great selection of salads and other healthier menu items than the burgers and fries kind of food. Besides Bantam Chef and Jiffy Mart have the fried food market cornered. Plus the walk can burn off calories!
As far as opening businesses in PC, the time savings for permitting and approvals is considerably shorter in Bunnell and if memory serves me, Bunnell has a moratorium on impact fees and land costs are considerably less. In business, both monetary and time savings can make a huge difference in business descisions.
And how adult entertainment and mags got dragged into this doesn’t make sense. I can’t imagine any community pinning its hopes of job creation and Ad Valorum tax base on bikini bars and Playboys. But generally those business successes are tied to the citizens and not the government.
Congratulations to Bunnell! Keep up the good work
Watching says
Permitting is certainly faster in Bunnell but not hard to achieve when you don’t have any standards. Palm Coast looks much better because they ensure a higher standard of development.
hahahaha says
The city of palm coast needs to get with the program. They pretend to be a big city government with no clue on how to bring business to town. They had BMW and lost them. They had a Walmart distribution center and lost that. Putting in a restaurant once every 3 years is a joke. offering tax breaks to a small business that may or may not hire more employees is a joke. going after REAL business that might bring some REAL tax money to your town is the ansure. “watching” says Palm Coast has standards, like building a Town Center and thinking “Build it and They will come.” “They Came” and got scared away by a backwards permitting process and a city government that couldn’t find its rear end with both hands. Congrats Bunnell and keep up the good work.
Watching says
They actually didn’t get scared away… Town Center was permitted and constructed. Yes, the building isn’t fully occupied at the moment (in the worst economic situation in decades) but at least it is not empty and deteriorating to rubble like many structures in Bunnell. With that said, my point here is not to bash Bunnell – just to point out that comparing Bunnell to Palm Coast permitting times is like comparing apples to oranges.
Paul says
Sad to read so many disparaging comments about Bunnell and Palm Coast. What ever happen to encouraging one another and rejoicing with those who rejoice? Aloha