As landlords find new uses for the six closed Stein Mart stores in Jacksonville, the owner of Ortega Park wants to demolish the one in its Westside shopping center.
Atlanta-based Dewberry Group applied to the St. Johns River Water Management District on Aug. 11 to redevelop that part of Ortega Park, formerly known as Roosevelt Square.
Dewberry has been redeveloping the 60-year-old shopping center at 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., including demolition and new construction.
Stein Mart filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August and closed its stores in October.
“During the course of construction and COVID, SteinMart went bankrupt. Dewberry Team is looking to re-purpose the SteinMart building pad,” says the project description.
“We are proposing to modify the current SJRWMD permit and demo the SteinMart building,” it says.
Dewberry, through Roosevelt Square Limited Liability Limited Partnership, wants to modify its permit. It asks the district to determine whether the surface water management system can accommodate the redevelopment of the site.
Dewberry said it would keep the neighboring buildings and “may re-construct the Steinmart building area.”
Stein Mart leased from 30,000 to 46,000 square feet of anchor box space at six area properties. The largest was at Ortega Park.
Plans for the other five stores include fitness centers for two of them – Crunch Fitness at 13475 Atlantic Blvd. in Harbour Village and Bailey’s Health & Fitness at 10915 Baymeadows Road in Point Meadows.
Landlord Sleiman Enterprises has been working with two tenants for the Stein Mart at 1848 University Blvd. W. in Lakewood Promenade. The 30,000-square-foot store would be divided for lease.
Stein Mart also leased in Riverplace Shopping Center in Mandarin and South Beach Regional in Jacksonville Beach
Dewberry bought the Roosevelt Square property in 1997 and renovated it in 1999 and 2003. Ortega Park is the third redevelopment.
Dewberrygroup.com says Ortega Park will grow to nearly 700,000 square feet and include shopping, dining and Class A multifamily units.
It appears to be an investment of at least $70 million.
