Redevelopment of Sears property next to Orange Park Mall advances

Business

Plans to redevelop the closed Sears site at Orange Park Mall are moving forward.

An updated application filed with St. Johns River Water Management District shows the 189,796-square-foot department store will be divided into five retail spaces. Its parking lot will be developed as five outparcels, one of which is reserved for future use.

The former Sears store and parking lot west of the Orange Park Mall is taking steps toward being redeveloped as multiple retail spaces and outparcels.

The project is being marketed as Orange Park Plaza by owner Transformco Properties of Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

The redevelopment initially requires 460 parking spaces per Clay County regulations.

Plans show the former Sears next to the Orange Park mall divided into five retail stores. Each end of the redevelopment is anchored by a store of about 24,000 square feet.

Plans show retail spaces in the former Sears site along Blanding Boulevard west of the mall:

• Retail A: 23,972 square feet with two truck bays.

• Retail B: 10,000 square feet.

• Retail C: 1,800 square feet.

• Retail D: 1,800 square feet.

• Retail E: 23,750 square feet with five truck bays.

Plans also show a 10,980-square-foot back-of-house area.

Plans for the Sears site at the Orange Park Mall show a possible fast-food restaurant with a drive-thru and another building where the Sears Auto Center was located.

In the parking lot are five outparcels.

• Outparcel 1: Future availablity, 1.22 acres.

• Outparcel 2: Proposed retail, 10,440 square feet, 1.6 acres

• Outparcel 3: Proposed retail, 5,544 square feet. Plans show a drive-thru. Adjacent is a 5,600-square-foot building. 2.75 acres.

• Outparcel 4: Parking, 8.51 acres.

• Outparcel 5: Parking, 3.53 acres.

An outparcel with a 10,440-square-foot retail building is shown on the plan for the former Sears site near the Orange Park Mall.

Sears closed in 2020. It was one of the mall’s original anchors when it opened Sept. 24, 1975.

Orange Park Mall’s parent company, Washington Prime Group of Columbus, Ohio, said in April it is selling the mall as part of a portfolio of 50 shopping centers, including 10 in Florida.

An overall redevelopment plan for the Sears site next to the Orange Park Mall.

Because the Sears’ redevelopment property is separately owned by Transformco Properties it will not be affected. The company, through TF Orange Pk LLC, bought the 18-acre parcel for about $7.7 million in 2019 from Sears Roebuck and Co., according to Clay County property appraiser records.

Jacksonville-based Kimley-Horn is the civil engineer for the project.

The application notes the project will not impact wetland.