By news-press.com staff

It's official.

Publix is coming to downtown Fort Myers.

Regency Centers, a national owner, operator and developer of grocery-anchored and community shopping centers, has partnered with Cameratta Properties to create First Street Village in downtown Fort Myers and Publix will be the anchor.

The 39,393-square-foot Publix is scheduled to open in fall 2007, Regency officials announced this week.

Since 2000, Regency has developed 152 shopping centers.

Construction has begun on the mixed-use shopping center and residential property that sits on 12.5 acres along McGregor Boulevard and West First Street between Clifford and Virginia streets.

The project includes 84,643 square-feet of retail space, 38,000 square-feet of office condominiums, along with 356 luxury residential condominiums featuring townhomes, flats and lofts.

First Street Village is the site of the old Edison-Ford Square, most of which has been demolished. Cameratta Properties paid $6.25 million for the property in 2003. In total, the $250 million development is planned as a five-year, three-phase project.