FLA BPI LLC, a partnership led by longtime South Florida shopping center owner/developer Beth Azor, has started construction on a Wawa at the southeast corner of Pine Island Road and Broward Boulevard. The development group, Plantation city officials and Wawa representatives held a groundbreaking ceremony on April 4 for the popular convenience store and gas station which is expected to open in approximately 12 months.
FLA BPI acquired the three-acre site in 2016 and tore down a 1970’s-era, dilapidated office building. In 2019, the southern portion of the site was redeveloped with a 6,400-square-foot retail center known as Midtown Crossing. Tenants include a Starbucks, Chim Authentic Thai and Sushi and Smoosh Cookies. The Wawa store will occupy the northern half.
“It is gratifying to see our full vision for this highly visible property finally coming to fruition,” said Beth Azor, CEO and founder of Davie-based Azor Advisory Services and managing partner of FLA BPI LLC. “I want to thank the city for embracing our plan and recognizing the value we are bringing to this part of town.”
“It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago, this was a rotted, dilapidated building that we were worried about falling apart,” Plantation Mayor Nick Sortal said at the groundbreaking. “The plan all along was to build something, and we thought this was the best thing. Wawa is absolutely the right play.”
The store will offer easy access to residents and workers at nearby employment centers, Azor said. She noted that the gas station will be the first in Plantation on the south side of busy Broward Boulevard between Flamingo Road and U.S. 441.
Wawa sells freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom hoagies, freshly brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks.
“This project is finally happening thanks to the relentless effort and determination of Beth Azor, because there are a lot of pieces that needed to be put together to make this happen. Without her, we wouldn’t be here today,” said Barry Belmont, a partner in the Midtown Crossing project. Great Dane Petroleum will serve as general contractor. Valley Bank provided the construction loan.
The development site is located at 100 S. Pine Island Road, Plantation, Florida 33324.
Azor owns and operates five retail centers in suburban Broward County, two of which she developed from the ground up. She sold two shopping centers in Plantation and Sunrise over the past eight months.
About Azor Advisory Services, Inc.
Azor Advisory Services is a full-service, retail real estate management and development firm located in Weston, Florida. Over nearly 25 years, the firm has bought, sold, leased, developed, re-developed, consulted on and managed shopping centers of all shapes, sizes and importance. They leverage what they have learned to help clients achieve exceptional results in site evaluation, executive coaching and delivering well-attended keynote speeches. For more information visit www.bethazor.com.
About Wawa, Inc.
Wawa, Inc., a privately held company, began in 1803 as an iron foundry in New Jersey. Toward the end of the 19th Century, owner George Wood took an interest in dairy farming and the family began a small processing plant in Wawa, PA in 1902. The milk business was a huge success, due to its quality, cleanliness and “certified” process. As home delivery of milk declined in the early 1960s, Grahame Wood, George’s grandson, opened the first Wawa Food Market in 1964 as an outlet for dairy products. Today, Wawa is your all day, every day stop for freshly prepared foods, beverages, coffee, fuel services and surcharge-free ATMs. Wawa stores are located in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C. The stores offer a large fresh foodservice selection, including Wawa brands such as custom prepared hoagies, freshly-brewed coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, specialty beverages and an assortment of soups, sides and snacks. Forbes.com Ranks Wawa as #24 of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2021 and #12 on Forbes 100 Halo List in 2022. For more information, visit us on www.wawa.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat at @wawa.
