Too Many Big Boxes Stand Empty

"The dark carcasses of once busting behemoths -- Wal-Mart, Kmart, Kash n' Karry and Service Merchandise -- stand silent along US 19 in Hernando County, Florida, all within a half-mile of each other. A half-mile to the south of them, landowner Hardy Huntley is asking the County to rezone a former spray field. Hernando County real estate agents say they trust the empty big boxes will fill up. But it could take years to locate new tenants. During the last Commission meeting, Commissioner Diane Rowden brought up the issue of empty big box stores. An agent representing owners of those properties says it is too soon to worry about the stores remaining vacant, but some worry another giant store will push Hernando County one step closer to looking like sprawl-ridden Pasco County. With the downturn in the economy, a principle with Coldwell Banker Schraut and Associates said the county cannot afford to push away a major retailer."