Renovations will begin soon on Palm Coast's oldest retail center

The sprawling Palm Harbor Shopping Center, Palm Coasts oldest commercial center, is in line for a major makeover and the developer also intends to give the retail center a new name, Island Walk.

PALM COAST After some final incentives were granted to the new developer Tuesday, the reconstruction project at Palm Harbor Shopping Center is only weeks away from commencing.

The City Council voted 5-0 during a special meeting to ensure that Branch Properties of Atlanta will avoid paying thousands of dollars in transportation and water-wastewater impact fees.

The move means more money can be spent on landscaping improvements, a critical component to the areas redevelopment, said City Manager Jim Landon.

This was going to have a Palm Coast look, Landon said of the citys commitment to make sure all prospective developers are aware of the citys emphasis on landscape beautification.

Branch Properties wont be billed for transportation impact fees as long as it does the required construction improvements along Florida Park Drive. Additionally, council members approved offsetting up to $52,000 in water and wastewater fees for the additional square footage thats being tacked on to the Publix-anchored retail center in the 200 block of Palm Coast Parkway between Old Kings Road to the west and Florida Park to the east.

Setting aside those water and wastewater fees was an easy call to make considering the extent to which property and sales tax revenues will increase following the improvements, said Beau Falgout, the citys administration coordinator.

That point was echoed both by Landon and Mayor Jon Netts during Tuesdays meeting.

The return on the investments are there, said Netts.

The shopping center has 173,000 square feet of retail space. After the renovations are completed, it will have 219,000 square feet of space plus two out-parcels. The sizes of those out-parcels still havent been determined, said Falgout.

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Renovations will begin soon on Palm Coast's oldest retail center