New Family Dollar opens in Bradenton neighborhood

BRADENTON -- After a year of construction, national value chain Family Dollar has opened its 10th and newest store in Manatee County.

The 8,320-square-foot building opened in early October at 1508 32nd Avenue E. Built by Boos Development of Clearwater, the property sold to a Brandon buyer early this month for $2.09 million.

The new store is unusual among those in Manatee County. It is located in a Samoset neighborhood primarily populated with homes, churches and a few small retail stores. The chain's other county locations are on well-traveled commercial strips, including State Road 64, 301 Blvd. W., Cortez Road, U.S. Highway 41 and State Road 70.

The average size of a Family Dollar store is approximately 7,000 square feet. Most, according to the company, operate in leased facilities.

Bryn Winburn, a spokeswoman for Family Dollar, said her company locates stores to draw shoppers from nearby neighborhoods.

"Our goal is to open stores in communities to help serve the families in that immediate area," she said.

Other retailers located near the new Family Dollar include a neighborhood grocery store, a fish market and a gas station.

Winburn said the chain does not currently have plans to build more stores in Manatee County.

Family Dollar carries a variety of goods, including grocery items, health and beauty products, pet-care products and baby-care items. Most items are priced under $10.

Boos, a developer of Family Dollar stores, CVS pharmacies and other chain retail stores, purchased approximately 1.4 acres on 15th St. E. and 33rd Ave. E. in early 2014. It paid $534,000 for three lots, according to county land records. A home, a roofing business and the former location of the Faith Family Church of Manatee previously occupied the land.

The new owner of the new Manatee Family Dollar, does not own any other Family Dollar locations, according to Dan Mulkey, vice president of investments for the Tampa office of commercial real estate brokerage Marcus & Millichap. He represented the buyer in the Nov. 9 transaction. State corporate records show that the buyer is a company managed by Brandon real estate investor Glenn Pearson.

North Carolina-based Family Dollar is part of a larger value chain, Dollar Tree. In January, Family Dollar shareholders approved an $8.74 billion takeover offer from Dollar Tree Inc. after turning down a higher offer from Dollar General Corp.

Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter@MattAtBradenton.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 4:49 PM with the headline "New Family Dollar opens in Bradenton neighborhood ."