Sanford Advances Costco Plans for Former Macy’s Site at Seminole Towne Center

Sanford city leaders moved forward with plans to turn the former Macy’s building and an adjacent parking lot at the southern end of Seminole Towne Center into a new Costco warehouse and supporting retail space, positioning the project as a key element in a larger mixed-use vision for the site.

The property owner and developer, Ardent Companies, an Atlanta-based asset management firm that purchased 75 acres of Seminole Towne Center last year for $17.5 million, is seeking to redevelop roughly 40.24 acres for the Costco parcel. A site plan credited to Thomas Engineering Group shows the warehouse footprint replacing the Macy’s structure and part of the adjacent lot, with gasoline fuel pumps, a tire-only vehicle service area, and a dedicated liquor store included in the master plan for the site.

Planning documents and public descriptions contain varying size figures for the Costco footprint. The Seminole Towne Center PD Master Plan adopted in 2022 proposes a 153,820-square-foot wholesale retail center and a 2,219-square-foot liquor store as part of the redevelopment. Other project figures cited by city officials and planning materials put the warehouse at just over 156,000 square feet; a more specific figure circulating in planning discussions is 156,454 square feet. The final approved square footage remains subject to confirmation with City of Sanford planning staff, Ardent Companies, and Costco corporate.

Parking has emerged as a flash point in public review. Project filings request exceptions that the project team described as a substantial increase in allowed parking, characterized in public testimony as a 75% rise from applicable standards. Project plans also identify a specific parking count of 847 spaces for the Costco site. At a recent public hearing, attendees noted the mall’s long decline, with one characterizing the property as a “sad piece of real estate off I-4,” and planners acknowledged the city has not yet taken a final vote. The hearing concluded without a decision and additional public hearings are planned.

City officials have signaled an aggressive construction timeline if approvals proceed. "A new Costco location in Sanford is expected to open in early 2027, city officials say." Demolition of the former Macy’s site is expected to begin in April of this year, and the developer envisions future phases across the broader Ardent holdings that could include multifamily housing, additional retail and hotel uses.

Costco has not listed a Sanford location on its corporate website, so corporate confirmation of the site remains outstanding. Next steps for the project include continued ordinance discussions before the Sanford City Commission, follow-up public hearings, and final votes on variances and site permits. For Seminole County residents, the proposal promises new jobs and retail options but also raises questions about traffic, parking, and the pace of redevelopment along the I-4 corridor. Community members should watch upcoming commission agendas and planning division notices for the next public meetings and final action on the proposal.