New Crestline Piggly Wiggly being planned (updated)
A presentation in front of Mountain Brook City Council has set the rumors straight. A team is working to bring a new, larger Piggly Wiggly to Crestline Village.
Robert Jolly, president of Retail Specialists, presented preliminary plans for the store at the Council meeting on Feb. 24.
"In meeting with [City Planner] Dana [Hazen], we feel like we can make this plan work," said Jeff Slaton of Goodwyn Mills Cawood.
The store would be approximately 18,000 square feet, which is comparable to the Piggly Wiggly at River Run, and would encompass the current CVS pharmacy property as well as additional property on Vine Street.
Jolly, a 17-year Mountain Brook resident, said his company is acting as a facilitator in a deal that includes CVS, Piggly Wiggly, the City of Mountain Brook and property owners in Crestline.
“If ever there was a win-win-win, this is it,” he said.
Retail Specialists is working with both Andy and Stanley Virciglio, owners of the former Crestline store, and Naseem Ajlouny and family, partners in the River Run store, on plans for the new Pig.
“I have never worked on a complex project [like this] where we had more support,” Jolly said.
The proposal is subject to CVS relocating to the former Piggly Wiggly location next to La Paz.
Currently, CVS is working with the city on details of parking for its new property, according to City Manager Sam Gaston; the drive-through it plans to build will eliminate 11 existing parking spots.
"In an ideal world, CVS will get approved [to move to the former Piggly Wiggly location], and the day they're out, we will start our work," Jolly said, noting that construction could start as soon as this fall.
Complete plans for the proposed store announcing a construction schedule could be released at a later date.
Ajlouny said in the Council meeting that he is willing to spend extra money to condense the space that retail equipment occupies on the first floor of the store, much like what you would see in an urban grocery store. He also noted that parking spaces will be unused at the Board of Education, elementary school and bank next door on nights, holidays and weekends, and that delivery trucks would be smaller than average and come in before morning traffic.
"There are some challenges, but I like what I see," Council President Virginia Smith said following the presentation.
Amy Carter requested that there be access to the store directly from Church Street, and Billy Pritchard asked simply that the team "get a plan for grocery store that would work."
“For 30 years our family has been a part of the Crestline community, and along with our other Mountain Brook store in River Run, we know this is a great fit,” Andy Virciglio said. “We heard loud and clear that Crestline wants its Piggly Wiggly, and we want to be back.”
Ajlouny emphasized that his family looks forward to joining the Virciglios in serving Crestline.
“We applaud how the property owners, community leaders, city officials, visionary real estate people and everyone else worked together in a community-first approach to put a plan like this in place,” he said. “This is a true win-win for everyone involved, and it will be wonderful to have the Piggly Wiggly return to Crestline."
This story was updated at 9:40 p.m. on Feb. 24 following the Council meeting. Check back on villagelivingonline.com for more updates on plans for the new Piggly Wiggly.