The Atlanta-based developer has announced plans to purchase a 75-acre portion of the recently closed Seminole Town Center in Sanford and redevelop the property at a mixed-use destination with multi-family, retail and hotel use.
Sanford’s Director of Economic Development Brady Lessard confirmed with GrowthSpotter that the selling price to the Ardent company is around $17.5 million. The deal included a vacant 324,681 square feet of enclosed regional mall, a 160,000 square feet of former Macy’sville, and a 13.5-acre development parcel.
Although a developer representative refused to share details of the company’s plans, Lessard issued a statement saying, “The scope of this project corresponds to the largest retail redevelopment in Seminole County history.”
“We will work closely with the City of Sanford and other stakeholders to redevelop the site into a mixed-use district and once again serve as an exciting hub for activities for residents and visitors. We look forward to sharing the details soon.”
The approximately 1.1 million square feet of Seminole Town Center, developed by the Simon Property Group, opened in 1995 and was initially a success. But the mall, which once headed up, fell at a difficult time, and the previous owner began closing most of the property earlier this year. The mall’s main retail anchor business (Dick’s Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Elev8 Fun, Dillard’s businesses) will remain open, sitting on individually owned parcels, but the rest of the mall is expected to be demolished.
Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel
The former Macy’s store at Seminole Town Centre was closed in 2020 (GrowthSpotter Archives)
A decline in property came to mind when the mall closed for three days in February 2024 after the building’s power was closed due to the owner’s failure to pay the utility bill.
Previous developers failed to activate corrupt properties. Boca Raton-based The Altman Companies had a deal in 2020 to purchase a 13.5-acre section of the mall consisting of parking and former Macy’s.
Sanford City Records
Several developers have previously tried to replace the former Macy’s and parking lot at the southern tip of the Seminole Town Center with an apartment. (Seminole County Property Appraiser)
Other companies also tried to move forward. City officials hope that completed sales to enthusiastic businesses will eventually begin redeveloping the mall.
Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff said the city is “thrilled to see a dedicated team bringing commerce and vitality to this important economic center.”
Ardent focuses primarily on commercial and residential acquisition and development in the southeastern United States, and is unfamiliar with large-scale mixed-use developments. For example, the developer is pursuing a $200 million redevelopment of its former Coca-Cola bottledling facility in Durham, North Carolina, with 370 apartments, 24 townhomes and 68,356 square feet of commercial space. The company acquired 11.8 million square feet of commercial space and acquired, developed or titled over 2,300 multi-family units, 10,700 detached lots and 2,500 rental homes.
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Original issue: March 18, 2025 5:30am EDT
