As the developer of the former Regency Square Mall’s outparcels continues infrastructure work, the proposed Circle K on one of the sites is in St. Johns River Water Management District review.
The district is reviewing a minor modification to an environmental resource permit for a Circle K convenience store and gas station on the 1.42-acre Outparcel 5 within what is now called The Nexus at Regency redevelopment.
The site is at Atlantic Boulevard and Monument Road, where Lake City-based Blackwater Development is preparing land for outparcels as the mall building remains intact for now.
The 59-year-old Regency Square Mall is at 9501 Arlington Expressway in the Arlington neighborhood of Jacksonville.
Blackwater bought most of the property, while several parcels, specifically Impact Church, the Dillard’s Clearance Center and the closed Sears department store, are independently owned and not part of the purchase.
Circle K Stores Inc., based in Tempe, Arizona, is listed as the applicant for the permit modification. Blackwater Regency Acquisition LLC is the ownership entity. Bohler LLC of Orlando is the civil engineer.
The Circle K project is described as a 5,200-square-foot convenience store with a 3,936-square-foot canopy. The project will be tied into the existing master stormwater infrastructure through an inlet structure that discharges into two existing wet detention ponds on the west side of the Southside Connector and the mall. That inlet structure was built under the “Nexus at Regency Redevelopment” that was previously approved.
The outparcel is now an asphalt parking lot. The project will include the building, canopy, gas station, paved entrances, drives and parking areas.
Blackwater Regency Acquisition will lease the ground to Circle K Stores Inc.
The city issued a permit April 6 for Blackwater Development LLC to start clearing the site at the southeast corner of the property, at a cost of almost $3.7 million.
According to the permit application, work includes asphalt removal, sidewalk removal, curb removal, storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water main, fire main, subgrade, base, new curb, new sidewalk, asphalt paving, striping and signage.
The city approved civil engineering development and sketch plans March 26 for work on infrastructure to prepare outparcels along Atlantic Boulevard and Monument Road.
With those approvals, Blackwater Development LLC can start to prepare what plans show as eight outparcels from 1.1 acres to 2.25 acres.
Fencing is up, equipment is staged, pipes are stacked, dirt is piled up, some shrubbery and trees are down and boards cover some of the entrances to the mall building.
Previously filed plans indicated up to 11 total outparcels wrapping around the southeast corner of the property at Atlantic Boulevard and Monument Road.
Blackwater said that outparcels would be available for retail, banking and other uses.
Users so far have been identified in regulatory filings, including by city power provider JEA, are:
• Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers on Lot 1 at what will be the main entrance to Nexus at Regency.
• Circle K on Lot 5.
• Chase Bank on Lot 6.
• The existing Firestone Complete Auto Care on Lot 7 on the corner.
• There also has been interest by Dutch Bros Coffee for a kiosk on the property.
• A burger restaurant also is expected, according to a letter from Blackwater Regency LLC to Impact Church of Jacksonville Inc.
That letter, dated Aug. 18, 2025, outlined “construction of the buildings including but not limited to Raising Cane’s restaurant, a burger restaurant, a credit union, a gas station, a car wash, a bank, and a coffee restaurant building (and other buildings and improvements on the East Side of Regency Square Mall) and related parking areas in the outparcel area.”
Civil engineering plans also indicated:
• The closed JCPenney store would remain a freestanding building at the east end of the mall.
• The rest of the East Mall from Impact Church to the JCPenney would be demolished.
• The closed West Mall from Impact Church to Dillard’s and Sears remains for now.
• A roundabout would be built at the front entrance into the property.
Blackwater Regency LLC has applied to the city to demolish 371,444 square feet of the closed mall from Impact Church to the closed JCPenney building at the east end.
The project is in litigation as Impact Church of Jacksonville Inc. filed two complaints since late 2025 in the 4th Judicial Circuit Court against Blackwater Regency LLC, Blackwater Regency Acquisition LLC, Rurmell McGee, real estate developer Ramzy Bakkar, Xera Realty Inc. and Mustard Tree LLC.
The lawsuit accuses Blackwater of diverting a deal from the Jacksonville church to acquire the property.
Impact Church alleges McGee breached the agreement by purchasing the property without the church’s knowledge.
McGee and Blackwater deny the claims.