Panera Bread, Whataburger, Firestone Tire proposed alongside Aldi development in Navarre

The much-anticipated Aldi grocery store development in Navarre is officially underway, and developers are looking to add on to the property with additional commercial businesses. 

Plans submitted to the Santa Rosa County Zoning Board show that a Whataburger, Panera Bread and Firestone Complete Auto Care store are proposed for the same property adjacent to the 19,000-square-foot Aldi store. Representatives for all three businesses did not immediately respond to the News Journal's requests for comment Tuesday.

The developer, Mark Siner of Choctaw Engineering Inc., is seeking a zoning variance to allow a body shop, identified as the Firestone store, in a highway commercial development. 

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Siner also did not immediately respond to the News Journal's request for comment on Tuesday. 

The documents submitted to the county state that all auto body work at Firestone will be performed indoors, the site is not near residential development and the use is compatible with other commercial development in the Heart of Navarre zoning district. The county said the developer meets all requirements for the zoning variance request. 

The zoning board will vote to either approve or deny the request, but the zoning board's decision isn't final. The Board of County Commissioners will have to give final approval of the request. 

Site clearing has started on the property at the corner of Ortega and U.S. 98 where the Aldi will likely go. Company representatives still have not confirmed to the News Journal that they are putting a store location there, though public records and site plans show that the supermarket is planned to anchor the parcel. 

The Aldi location in Navarre would be the franchise's first in Northwest Florida. It has dozens of existing locations throughout the Florida peninsula and in Alabama. 

The zoning board meets to hear the Firestone request at 6 p.m. Thursday at the county chambers at 6495 Caroline St. in Milton. 

Annie Blanks can be reached at ablanks@pnj.com or 850-435-8632.