From Lake Forest, it's a short drive down SR 46 to the Seminole Towne Center area. On the main mall site, most of the activity right now is paperwork. Across the lot, at the open-air Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, a building is permitted for a $6.5 million makeover. Sanford building records show Dick's Sporting Goods is leaving its longtime spot beside the closed mall and moving into the former Big Lots at 1771 W.P. Ball Blvd.
Most of the news coverage is about Costco, and that makes sense. But Costco hadn't started demolition when GrowthSpotter last checked in late September 2026. The Marketplace already has tenants, a signed anchor lease, and a permit for the new store. For the next several months, the Marketplace is where the changes will show up first.
What Is Open on the Site as of Fall 2026
The enclosed mall at 200 Towne Center Circle opened in 1995 and shut down on Jan. 31, 2025. Several separately owned anchor buildings stayed open. Here is where each store stood as of GrowthSpotter's Sept. 24, 2026 report:
| Store | Where it is | Status as of Sept. 24, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dillard's | Separately controlled building at the mall | Open |
| Elev8 Fun | Separately controlled building at the mall | Open |
| Dick's Sporting Goods | Anchor space beside the closed mall | Open for now, relocating to the Marketplace |
| Burlington | Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center | Open, moved from the mall in 2022 |
| Target | Marketplace, western end | Next to the future Dick's on the city site map |
| JCPenney | Former mall anchor | Closed May 24; property sold to Ardent |
| Former Macy's | Mall site | Vacant, slated for Costco |
The table shows a pattern. The stores still operating on the mall side are the ones that own or control their own buildings. Burlington moved earlier. It left the lower level of the building that holds Dick's in 2022 and now operates in the Marketplace, the same center Dick's is headed to. Some businesses went much farther. Aventura Bridal & Tuxedo, Florida Man's Toys and All Star Karate relocated to Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach after the mall closed.
The Dick's Move Is the Change Closest to Happening
The new Dick's is a bigger project than a simple relocation. Plans join the 34,000-square-foot former Big Lots with 9,000 square feet of adjoining small-shop space and a new 5,000-square-foot addition. The result is a single 48,360-square-foot store. The Sanford permit covers a new facade plus upgrades to the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection and life-safety systems.
The timing is less settled than the floor plan. CTO Realty Growth, the Winter Park company that owns the Marketplace, announced the signed anchor lease in December 2025 without naming the retailer. At the time, it said the store was expected to open in early 2027. Dick's didn't respond when GrowthSpotter asked for an updated schedule. Early 2027 is the published target, not a confirmed date.
Until then, the current store by the mall stays open. Sanford Economic Development Director Brady Lessard told GrowthSpotter the move should keep most of the store's employees and add a modest number of jobs. "They have found the perfect spot to stay in the market," he said.
Once the new store opens, its spot on the city site map puts it at the western end of the Marketplace, right next to Target. Target, Burlington and Dick's would then all sit in one open-air center, and none of those three trips would involve the old mall building.
Where Costco Actually Stands
The Costco plan is real and fully approved. The schedule depends on a step that hasn't happened yet.
Atlanta-based The Ardent Companies bought the core mall property, the former Macy's and a development parcel for $17.56 million in March 2025. Costco is the first phase of Ardent's redevelopment. It will replace the former Macy's and include a gas station, tire center and liquor store. News 6 reported the warehouse at more than 156,000 square feet and called it the largest in Central Florida. Spectrum News 13 put it closer to 154,000.
Here are the steps in order, with the date each was reported:
- February 2026. Sanford commissioners approved a redevelopment plan for the site: a Costco, new retail space, a hotel and an apartment building of about 300 units. In a Feb. 12 report, Shopping Center Business gave a second-quarter 2027 opening estimate.
- July 9, 2026. Sanford Economic Development Project Manager Pamela Lynch said the Costco team expected to start demolition that month. A sign-program vote planned for that week was canceled and pushed to Aug. 6.
- Aug. 6, 2026. Sanford's Planning and Zoning Commission approved the signage plans. Lessard called that the last remaining step before demolition could begin, and said he expects construction to wrap up nine months after it starts.
- Sept. 24, 2026. GrowthSpotter reported that the redevelopment was moving toward demolition, but Ardent hadn't announced a start date.
That nine-month estimate is the number to watch. It counts from the start of construction, not from approval. FOX 35's "early 2027" opening came from city officials when demolition was expected to start in April. As of late September, the start date still hadn't been announced. The opening date will make more sense once equipment is on site and that date is public.
Lessard told Spectrum News 13 that Costco had wanted to be part of Seminole Towne Center for years, and that Sanford officials met with Costco in Nevada about a year and a half before the August approval. "We've got a new owner of the overall Towne Center mall, so we're ready to welcome you," he recalled telling the company. "And they really jumped in quickly."
What Comes After Phase One
Beyond Costco, the approved plan lists new retail, a hotel and roughly 300 apartments. Dillard's and Elev8 Fun remain separately controlled. Ardent also controls the roughly 9.4-acre former JCPenney parcel, which it bought for $7 million. GrowthSpotter's September report didn't name a new use for it.
Ardent has said it will redevelop the broader 76-acre site over time, moving north from the Costco parcel. In February, managing director Jay Douglas said the company was taking the later steps one at a time. Lessard said in August that the project has drawn interest from other retailers and restaurants. Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff has also mentioned talks with national retailers and restaurant chains. So far, Costco is the only incoming tenant named for the mall site. The new restaurants and shops people keep asking about haven't been announced.
Lynch's comment from July explains how the city sees it. "Costco is a powerful economic catalyst," she told ClickOrlando. "They are a driver, not just of their customer membership base, but of other businesses that want to locate to the area." In other words, the city expects later tenants to follow Costco, which means they're tied to Costco's construction schedule. The Dick's move isn't. It depends on a lease CTO signed in December 2025 at a center that is already open.
Put together, the map changes in this order. Dillard's and Elev8 Fun stay where they are. Dick's moves next to Target and near Burlington, with an early-2027 target. Costco's nine-month build starts once Ardent sets a demolition date, and the hotel, apartments and any restaurants come after that.
Big redevelopments like this one tend to come up when Lake Forest homeowners start thinking about timing a sale or a purchase. If you'd like to talk through how the Seminole Towne Center changes fit into your plans, Tara Mruk follows these projects closely and is glad to walk through what's confirmed and what's still pending. Schedule a free consultation whenever you're ready.
