Demolition of the Indian River Mall, starting with the former Macy’s and Sears anchor stores, began earlier than scheduled.
A gaping hole in the former Macy’s — exposing a mangled mess of debris — showed evidence of preparation work on June 2. Further down, excavators were packing scrap metal into a dumpster. Demolition was scheduled to begin 9 a.m., June 3.
Much of the mall’s east wing is fenced off. Heavy equipment is on the site to tear down the anchor stores and the mall’s internal corridor, once lined with storefronts and dotted with kiosks.
The demolition is a bittersweet moment for the community’s cultural cornerstone, but what comes next should excite shoppers, Joseph Scarfone, who is working with mall owner DTS Properties, said June 1.
“Anytime you have new life that comes back into something, it’s always a happy moment,” Scarfone said. “If you could create something that’s been dead and then bring it back to life, it’s a good moment, you know?”
Demolition is planned to take four months, Scarfone said, followed by redevelopment of the mall.
A newly renovated mall — with a hybrid indoor-outdoor shopping experience — is planned to rise from the rubble. Redevelopment will include construction of five outdoor 250,000-square-foot retail stores and a drive-through restaurant.
“If we can bring a bit of hope back, I think we’ve accomplished our job,” Scarfone said. “Once you start seeing the buildings go up, that’s basically the next big step.”
Conceptual renderings show a new vision for Indian River Mall. Sprouts Farmers Market, although excluded in the renderings, is one of the mall’s confirmed tenants. Landscaping with an ornate fountain is also planned.
Scarfone declined to say how much the demolition and redevelopment would cost. However, it would be “a lot more” than what the mall’s owner paid for it. DTS Properties bought most of the mall for $14.8 million in 2024.
Much of the mall — including the food court, AMC Theatres, JCPenney and Dillard’s — will be preserved.
“I’ve walked through the mall maybe a thousand times now,” Scarfone said. “You still see some of the shadows of the tenants that used to be there. There’s still some nostalgia there.”
The hybrid indoor-outdoor shopping mall experience was envisioned for Treasure Coast Square, a mall in Jensen Beach. Simon Property Group, the owner of Treasure Coast Square, appears to have backed away from that idea, despite reportedly collaborating on it.
Jack Randall is TCPalm’s economy and real estate reporter. You can reach him at jack.randall@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida mall demolition begins with former Macy’s store
Reporting by Jack Randall, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
