Sanford's city commission has signed off on a sweeping overhaul of the 48.89-acre Seminole Towne Center site, clearing the way for the long-struggling mall to be reborn as a mixed-use retail and service hub. The ordinance allows the aging property to pivot from mostly empty corridors to a new lineup of big-box wholesale, fuel, and outparcel development, which city leaders describe as the largest retail redevelopment Seminole County has seen in recent years.
According to FOX 35 Orlando, the rezoning for the nearly 49-acre parcel at 200 Towne Center Circle makes room for a 153,820-square-foot wholesale retail center that many expect to be a Costco, along with a new liquor store and what officials call "a massive gasoline service station with specialized tire repair." City planning staff, wary of ending up with a featureless big box, pushed back on what they labeled a "monolithic" building and secured commitments for extra landscaping and design elements. "It's currently valued at about 50 million dollars out there, so 3–4 years from now we see that valuation in the $500–$600 million valuation," Sanford Economic Development Director Brady Lessard told the station.
What's planned for the Macy's site
Building plans obtained by ClickOrlando sketch out a Costco-style warehouse of about 156,454 square feet, nearly 850 parking spaces, and an on-site fueling station, matching public renderings that surfaced last year. The outlet reports that demolition on portions of the property was expected to start in spring 2026 and that a Costco could open in 2027, on a timeline that lines up with the developer's broader mixed-use vision for the site.
Timeline and conditions
The ordinance requires the developer to submit a sealed development plan for city approval before any construction can begin and gives the company three years to finish key infrastructure work, with the rezoning set to revert if those conditions are not met, according to FOX 35 Orlando. Those timelines and design strings were added after rounds of negotiation between the developer and city planners, who said they wanted to be sure the mega-project still feels like Sanford and not just a copy-paste suburban power center.
Local history and reaction
The property has been a local saga for years as anchor stores departed and owners changed hands. The Ardent Companies closed on roughly 76 acres of the site last year and has been pitching a mix of retail, housing, and hotels, MySanfordHerald reported. According to Hoodline, residents and nearby business owners have offered mixed reactions to the scale and pace of the overhaul, a back-and-forth that has unfolded against a backdrop of store closures and redevelopment proposals that tracked the mall's steady decline and the failed bids that came before Ardent's purchase
What to watch next
For now, the next moves are procedural. The developer must file that sealed plan, clear the infrastructure checkpoints laid out in the ordinance, and then navigate permits and tenant negotiations that will ultimately lock in demolition dates. Coverage from ClickOrlando indicates demolition and early site work could kick off in spring 2026, with a Costco and other anchors rolling out in phases through 2027 and beyond.
