New Owners Plan Costco as First Phase to Redevelop Seminole Towne Center

The Ardent Companies intends to put a Costco on the 76-acre Seminole Towne Center site in Sanford as the first phase of a multi-stage "de-mall" redevelopment, company officials told News 6 and were reported by ClickOrlando on Feb. 23, 2026. The once-thriving mall has been largely vacant for about one year, with only its anchor stores remaining open, and Ardent says a Costco would be the catalyst to jumpstart a broader transformation.

Jay Douglas, managing director of The Ardent Companies, described Costco as the "first leg, or first domino to fall to be able to start a much more fulsome and complete redevelopment of the project." Douglas framed the retailer as a customer magnet for the trade area, saying, "You know what Costco does, the type of consumer they bring in. The Seminole Towne Center as a stopping point within this trade area is huge for us."

Ardent plans to redevelop the property in phases and to push redevelopment activity north across the site, company officials said. Douglas called Costco a near-unique "driver" for catalytic change: "I think Costco is one of those rare drivers that Is able to do that." He added that Ardent views the Costco insertion as "the gateway to the redevelopment of the mall," signaling that larger site plans will follow after the initial phase.

Douglas acknowledged the project will be complicated because the 76-acre property contains a mix of uses and leases. "When you look at the various uses, there are some operating, some are vacant, some, you know, have years left to go, some are still operating but have long-term leases trying to unravel," he told News 6. Douglas used a phased metaphor to describe the approach: "When you get something that's this large, not dissimilar to the old metaphor of eating an elephant, you kind of have to do it on step at a time."

The Feb. 23 reporting did not specify whether Costco has signed a lease or provided a construction or opening timeline, and the ClickOrlando coverage did not name which anchor stores remain open. The story also did not include acquisition price, financing details, zoning or permit status with the city of Sanford, or a detailed master plan showing which parcels will be demolished or retained.

Ardent's public framing is that completing a Costco will unlock interest from other tenants and investors and help re-envision the long-vacant Seminole Towne Center. Douglas said the company hopes that once Costco is in place, "the rest will fall into place" as Ardent advances phased redevelopment across the 76-acre site.