The enclosed part of Seminole Towne Center shut down on January 31, 2025. Close to two years later, the shopping district around it still has a Target, a Dillard's, an indoor entertainment center with go-karts and bowling, a full row of national retailers, and a sporting goods store moving into a former Big Lots that's getting a nearly $6.5 million makeover. For Lake Forest residents who shop off SR 46, the more useful map is the one showing where the stores went. The closed mall emptied out. Many of the businesses that stayed in Sanford walked a few hundred yards west to the open-air Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center and kept operating.
The Move West Started Years Before the Mall Closed
Burlington set the pattern first. According to GrowthSpotter, the retailer left the lower level of the building that holds Dick's Sporting Goods in 2022 and moved into the Marketplace. That was more than two years before the mall's interior closed.
Dick's is next. City building records reviewed by GrowthSpotter show the store leaving its longtime mall anchor space for the former Big Lots at 1771 W.P. Ball Blvd., at the western end of the Marketplace beside Target. The project combines the 34,000-square-foot former Big Lots with 9,000 square feet of small-shop space next door and a new 5,000-square-foot addition. The result is a 48,360-square-foot store behind a new facade, part of a permitted makeover worth nearly $6.5 million.
Sanford Economic Development Director Brady Lessard told GrowthSpotter the new store reflects a format Dick's has been testing nationally, with "a lot more opportunities to try out shoes and equipment." He also said the move should keep most of the current store's employees and add a modest number of jobs.
The current mall-side Dick's was still open as of late September 2026. CTO Realty Growth, the Winter Park-based owner of the Marketplace, had projected an early 2027 opening when it announced the lease in December 2025, and Dick's had not given GrowthSpotter an updated schedule.
Not every displaced tenant stayed this close. GrowthSpotter reported that Aventura Bridal & Tuxedo, Florida Man's Toys and All Star Karate moved to Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach after Seminole Towne Center closed. Among the businesses that did stay local, the Marketplace is where they landed.
What's Open, Closed and Coming as of October 2026
| Business | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center | Open, shadow anchor |
| Burlington, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, Boot Barn | Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center | Open |
| Dillard's | 300 Town Center Circle | Open, separately owned building |
| Elev8 Fun | Former mall property | Open, separately controlled building |
| Dick's Sporting Goods | Mall anchor now, moving to 1771 W.P. Ball Blvd. | Open; new store targeted for early 2027 |
| Ford's Garage | 1415 Rinehart Road | Opened January 2026 |
| Bahama Breeze | 1540 Rinehart Road | Closed March 15, 2026 |
| JCPenney | Former mall anchor | Closed |
| Costco | Former Macy's site | Approved, no demolition date announced |
The Marketplace has very little room left. CTO said the center hit 100% leased occupancy when it signed the Dick's lease in December 2025. Its September 2026 investor presentation listed the Marketplace as 99% leased as of June 30, 2026. The same presentation shows a signed lease for a drive-through outparcel at the center. The tenant hasn't been named, so the restaurant or service going there is still unknown.
Dillard's and Elev8 Fun Stayed Open for Ownership Reasons
The two biggest draws still running on the old mall property have one thing in common: neither building was part of the property that closed. GrowthSpotter reports that Dillard's and Elev8 Fun operate in separately controlled buildings. That's why they stayed open while the enclosed mall went dark and JCPenney closed.
Dillard's lists its store at 300 Town Center Circle and posts its hours on its store locator.
Elev8 Fun is the district's main option for a rainy Saturday or a birthday party. Its activities page lists:
- Electric go-karts, laser tag and a ropes course
- Glow mini-golf, batting cages and bowling
- A 7D dark ride and an interactive X-Cube
- Axe throwing, billiards and XR basketball
- An arcade and a gaming lounge
Almost everything on that list is indoors, which makes it one of the few places near I-4 and SR 46 that works in the middle of a Central Florida summer afternoon.
On Rinehart Road, One Restaurant Opened and One Closed
The same shift shows up on the restaurant pads along Rinehart Road. Ford's Garage, the Ford-themed burger and craft beer chain, announced on January 23, 2026, that its location at 1415 Rinehart Road was open.
Less than two months later, the Bahama Breeze at 1540 Rinehart Road served its last day on Sunday, March 15, 2026, according to ClickOrlando, citing Darden. The 7,897-square-foot building is being marketed for lease as a restaurant space, and no replacement tenant has been named.
The Costco Has Approvals but No Start Date Yet
The Costco is the piece nearby residents ask about most, and its timeline has already slipped once. Here is the order of events in public reporting:
- February. GrowthSpotter's September 2026 report says Sanford commissioners approved a redevelopment plan for the mall site. It calls for a Costco on the former Macy's parcel, plus new retail, a hotel and an apartment building with about 300 units.
- Earlier forecast. FOX 35 reported that city officials expected demolition to start in April and Costco to open by early 2027, with a gas station and 847 parking spaces.
- August 6, 2026. The Sanford Planning and Zoning Commission approved Costco's signage plans. Lessard told Spectrum News 13 this was the last remaining step before demolition could start, and that he expected construction to take nine months once underway.
- September 24, 2026. GrowthSpotter reported that the redevelopment was moving toward demolition. The Ardent Companies, the Atlanta-based firm that bought the core mall property and the former Macy's in March 2025 for $17.56 million, had not announced a start date.
No public demolition start followed that April forecast. Using Lessard's nine-month estimate, even a start this October would put completion around mid-2027, later than the early-2027 date first reported. Reports also differ slightly on the warehouse size. Spectrum News 13 put it at about 154,000 square feet, and FOX 35 at about 156,454 square feet. Spectrum also reported that the Costco will take up just under 50 acres of the site, including a liquor store and gas pumps.
The Parcels Still Waiting for Tenants
Beyond the Costco, most of the redevelopment is still unassigned. Lessard told Spectrum News 13 the project has drawn interest from other retailers and restaurants, and he described plans for "the restaurant row that will be added," calling it "the largest redevelopment of commercial property in Seminole County's history." None of those restaurants has been named publicly.
The former JCPenney parcel is also open. Ardent bought the roughly 9.4-acre property for $7 million, and the latest coverage names no new use or tenant for it.
So as of mid-October 2026, the Lake Forest shopping trip still runs through the same intersection, mostly on the Marketplace side of the lot. Target, Burlington, Marshalls, Ross and Boot Barn are open there now. Dick's is targeting early 2027 next door, and Dillard's and Elev8 Fun carry on in their own buildings. The Costco, the hotel and the restaurant row will arrive whenever Ardent starts demolition.
A redevelopment this size eventually becomes part of the conversation about nearby homes, from the traffic on SR 46 to what buyers ask about at showings. If you'd like to know how Holt Real Estate reads the changes around I-4 and SR 46 for a home in Lake Forest, we're happy to walk through it with you. Get a Free Home Valuation and we'll start with your address.
