Plans For Bailey’s General Store Explained

Editor’s Note: The owners-operators of Bailey’s Center explain the plans for rebuilding after Hurricane Ian destroyed the building in September 2022. They also share the history of the business, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Plus, there are plans to serve the Sanibel community as Bailey’s is rebuilt. 

After an arduous planning process, one of the most anticipated rebuilding projects on Sanibel will continue to move forward.

At the July meeting, the City Council approved the development permit for Bailey’s Center, including the beloved Bailey’s General Store. The approval is the culmination of years-long planning and preparation efforts to rebuild responsibly and resiliently for the future of Bailey’s.

It is important for the Bailey family to carefully reconstruct with the community in mind because many people will visit Bailey’s Center in the future.

The permit approval was also well-timed for Bailey’s General Store’s 125th anniversary in 2024, and the store’s history is the best way to understand the plans for the future.

Originally located on Matthews’ Wharf in San Carlos Bay in 1899, Bailey’s was the sole resource for all goods and shipping and the reception site for visitors and residents of Sanibel and Captiva as they arrived on the ferry.

After an early 20th-century hurricane blew away the first Bailey’s building, Frank P. Bailey recovered only the safe found in San Carlos Bay. He rebuilt the business (called Sanibel Packing Company at the time) on land next to the wharf, the resilient choice at the time.

The “new store,” as he called it, and the second iteration of the building, was rebuilt overlooking San Carlos Bay.

The third version was built on the corner of Tarpon Bay Road and Periwinkle Way to move inland and improve storm resiliency. When the third building replaced the second, it was relocated to the Sanibel Historical Village and Museum, where it resides today.

Interestingly, the newly renovated post-Hurricane Ian exhibits at the historical village are worth a stop for history lovers. The Bailey family has a long history in making resilient rebuilding and plans to be there for the community for 125 more years.

What can future guests to Bailey’s Center expect?

The biggest change to expect will be the raised building structures. After Hurricane Ian flooded the store, the biggest disappointment for the family of owners and operators was their inability to serve their community after the storm.

The main buildings will be raised for Bailey’s to become its next best version, with only the historic service station staying ground level. The center’s layout will shift the main building to the southeastern corner, which will provide room for enhanced parking and functionality for guests.

“Liquid sunshine” will no longer moisten future grocery trips with the new porte-cochère structure to keep shoppers dry while they load groceries in the rain. Shoppers will access the businesses via elevator or stairs.

Electric vehicle charging will return to Bailey’s Center as well.

In addition to the anchor business, Bailey’s General Store, the center will offer tenant spaces that will include restaurants, retail, and other services that suit the needs of the island community.

Dane Johnson, a fourth-generation owner-operator, says he is “excited to finally get started and be another step closer to serving our community and doing what we do best.”

While some of the businesses shoppers enjoyed will return, other favorite island restaurants and retailers from Bailey’s Center cannot return to operation. Tenant spaces are available for pre-leasing, and interested parties should contact Calli at cjohnson@baileys-sanibel.com.

This project is one of the island’s largest rebuilds and is anticipated to take roughly two years. In the meantime, the Bailey family decided to offer a selection of beloved products in a smaller temporary location at Rabbit Road Center, between Rosalita’s Cantina and On Island Jeeps.

The conditional use permit needed to move forward with A Bit of Bailey’s was approved at the August Planning Commission meeting. The next step is renovating the space for a grocery store.

Shoppers can look forward to visiting A Bit of Bailey’s at Rabbit Road Center, which is expected to be open in late 2024 or early 2025. In these uncertain times, setting hard deadlines for reopening with many opportunities for unanticipated delays is tough.

A Bit of Bailey’s will offer many of the same products currently available at The Island Store on Captiva, also operated by the same family of owner-operators.

However, A Bit of Bailey’s will have enough space to expand the fresh offerings, which is the biggest challenge on Captiva due to the small footprint of the preparation space.

Without a large commercial kitchen and bakery at A Bit of Bailey’s, rehired staff will endeavor to provide as many products as possible with the available space and equipment.

Customers can expect to see some of their favorite products, including fresh guacamole and salsa, chicken salad and other deli salads, fresh produce and prepared fruits and veggies, hot meals, and the return of small-scale catering.

Offerings will also include the famed coffee bar, a bakery, a full-service deli, fresh produce, a butcher shop, a seafood market, dry goods, and beer and wine.

The temporary loss of Bailey’s has had such an impact on the community that WGCU created a documentary to tell the story of the island’s recovery through the lens of the historic store. The premiere will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at Big Arts. More information is available at Big Arts.

Many consultants and engineers have contributed to the project’s success to this point. The Bailey family wants to recognize and thank the following partners in the project: Benchmark General Contractors, GMA Architects & Planners, JR Evans Engineering, Delisi Land Use Planning & Water Policy, Coastal Vista Landscape Architects, and UNFI.

Some of your most popular questions answered:

• Will it be elevated? Yes, it will be elevated to help avoid future flooding and ensure a swift return to business after hurricanes.

• Will the outparcel restaurant space be rebuilt? Yes, the former tenant has indicated they will not return.

• When will Bailey’s reopen? As soon as we can rebuild, rehire, and reopen, which is likely still years away.

NOTE: Readers may be aware that one of the owner-operators of Bailey’s is also our City of Sanibel Mayor, Richard Johnson. While skeptics might wrongly assume that contributed to the positive outcome of the development permit approval process, the mayor is required to refrain from participating in the review to maintain the ethical standards set forth for city governance by the State of Florida.