First College Campus Publix to Open at the University of South Florida
TAMPA, FL - The University of South Florida is about to get a lot more spirited, this time not for the Bulls, but for a brand new Publix store coming right to campus.
Scheduled for completion in fall 2017, this will reportedly be the first ever Publix to grace a college campus. The 29,000-square-foot neighborhood market-style store will be part of an expansive new student housing project, according to Tampa Bay Online (TBO), under the name Andros Village.
“The entire campus community is thrilled and excited to welcome Publix – one of Florida’s most respected companies – to our campus,” USF System President Judy Genshaft said in a written statement. “Our students’ top request was to bring a grocery store to campus so that we could create a healthy living and learning environment that fully supports them in their goals and ambitions.”
Publix has also announced it will hold upwards of two job fairs during each calendar year on the USF campus, and consider hiring qualified students for employment or internships.
The retailer will pay the university $130,000 a year to rent the land for the store under a 21-year lease, TBO reports. Under the deal, Publix will have six opportunities to renew the contract another five years, and the university has the right to increase rent by 10 percent every five years.
