Reopening date announced for DeLand Northgate Publix

BEACON PHOTO/MARSHA MCLAUGHLIN
Almost ready — The Publix store at DeLand’s Northgate Plaza is looking good June 13, two weeks before its scheduled grand opening June 28. The store is still off-limits to the public, as workers restock in preparation.

PHOTO COURTESY DELAND POLICE
Big cleanup job — This photo taken by the DeLand Police Department shows the interior of the Northgate Plaza Publix in DeLand in the immediate aftermath of an airplane crash-landing on the roof. Publix officials said all the product in the store was discarded. Renovation has proceeded at a brisk pace, and store officials said today the Publix will reopen Thursday, June 28.

Store has been closed since airplane hit roof

By Barb Shepherd
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Jun 11, 2012 - 10:38:06am

Publix Supermarkets this morning announced a reopening date for the DeLand store damaged April 2 when a small plane hit the roof.

"After several months of diligence and great partnering with the mayor's office and other city officials and contractors, we are pleased to confirm the reopening date of June 28 for your newly renovated Publix in DeLand," reported Dwaine Stevens, media and community-relations manager for the supermarket chain.

Stevens said the Thursday reopening will begin with a 7:30 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring DeLand leaders.

Customers will see the result of more than $800,000 worth of remodeling, plus a new roof, new heat-and-air systems and other improvements undertaken by the supermarket chain to repair damage from the crash. HGR Construction Inc. of Winter Park was the main contractor.

In addition to HGR, other companies involved in restoring the store include Kodiak Services Inc. of Orlando (All-Tex Roofing), which is doing a roof-over; Market Refrigeration Inc. of Palm Bay, which is replacing refrigeration systems; Wiginton Fire Systems of Sanford, which is installing a fire-sprinkler system; Central Florida Heating & Air Conditioning of Altamonte Spring, which is taking care of the heating and cooling systems; B&C Signs of Edgewater, which is providing sign work; ADT Security Services of Orlando, which is installing a fire-alarm system; State Electric of Apopka, which contributed some of the electrical work; and Advanced Fire Equipment of Sanford, which is installing fire-suppression equipment in a hood system.

The Northgate Plaza Publix store at 299 E. International Speedway Blvd., has been closed since the evening of Monday, April 2, when a kit-built airplane that had just taken off from the nearby DeLand Municipal Airport developed trouble and crash-landed into the Publix.

The impact sparked a fireball that ripped through the open and busy supermarket, but only three customers and no employees were injured.

Two of the injured customers were treated and released from the hospital later that night.

One of the two occupants of the plane, 60-year-old Kim Presbrey of Illinois, died of his injuries May 26.

The other man in the airplane, pilot Thomas Rhoades, also of Illinois, is believed to still be in an Illinois hospital, where he was transferred after initial treatment in Orlando. Because of health-privacy laws, no information about his condition is available.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.

— info@beacononlinenews.com

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