Major renovation planned for Oldsmar’s Woodlands Square Shopping Center
The Oldsmar City Council approved a development agreement on Tuesday that paves the way for a major renovation of the Woodlands Square Shopping Center.
The Oldsmar City Council approved going forward with a development agreement on Tuesday night that paves the way for a major renovation of the Woodlands Square Shopping Center.
The agreement allows the applicant, Woodlands Square CRP, LLC, to conduct a near complete overhaul of the aging plaza, which was built in the mid-1980s and is home to retail giants Marshalls, Bealls and Office Depot, as well as the AMC Woodlands Square 20 movie theater, the recently added Craft Street Kitchen and several smaller retail shops and restaurants.
According to the plans, a 23,000-sq.-ft. portion of the west end of the plaza, located at the intersection of Tampa and Curlew Roads, will be demolished and replaced with 23,000-sq.ft. of new construction; some tenants will be relocated to other parts of the property, and new ones will be added, including a national grocery store and a 10,500-sq.-ft. retail store in the center of the expansive parking lot.
“They’re going to actually do a facelift of the shopping plaza in some locations,” Oldsmar Planning and Redevelopment Director Marie Dauphinais told the council on Tuesday, adding, “it’s really going to upgrade the shopping plaza.”
“Right now, tentatively, there will be a grocery store and another retail center in the middle of the parking lot, and that will have a pedestrian connection from the Marshalls area to Bealls.”
Dauphinais also said the applicant has proposed constructing a pedestrian walkway connecting the plaza to adjacent Canal Park, plus a major redevelopment of the drive access from Tampa Road with landscaping that will significantly upgrade the plaza.
The agreement also includes potential modifications to the wastewater lift station, which is located under the movie theater, as well as utilities maintenance.
Also, the movie theater will stay, but it will be renovated to feature wider aisles, comfortable seating and a dinner & drinks service similar to the CineBistro chain.
After Dauphinais outlined the applicant’s plans for the plaza, a spokesperson for the property’s realtor went into greater detail about the project’s timeline.
“We have an opportunity to secure a grocery store and have them in place…by next season,” Mark Van Dyke of Ram Realty Services said. “So our goal is to have the store built and open for business (by the) end of August (or) September of 2017.”
“Our plan is to actually start demolition of the existing retail building between Bealls to the south and Office Depot to the north right after the first of the year,” he added. “We’ll get through the holiday season, and we plan on demolishing the retail building and then commence construction of the grocery store.”
Van Dyke said Bealls would stay where it is, with an upgrade to the building’s façade; however, he said the future of the Office Depot is in doubt due to an expiring lease agreement and the possible merger of the company with fellow office supplies giant Staples.
“We’re talking to them right now about extending the lease,” he said, adding, “If they vacate, we will have two other national tenants secured for that space.”
In unanimously approving the agreement by a 4-0 vote (Vice-Mayor Eric Seidel was absent from the meeting), council members expressed their support for the project.
“I think it’s great,” Mayor Doug Bevis said.
“I’m excited,” Council member Dan Saracki added.
After the meeting, the mayor took a moment to elaborate on his thoughts about the project.
“I think it’s a much needed improvement,” Bevis told Oldsmar Connect. “The plaza’s done fairly well considering how dated it is, but the general flow of it needed to be improved and it needed a retooling.”
“This project will continue with the current synergy that Oldsmar has, gearing the plaza towards what millennials and today’s shoppers want ”
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- Council members praise USF students for downtown development concept
- Oldsmar makes short list of potential Pinellas home for Rays
Note: The Council only approved moving forward with a development agreement on Tuesday. The item will have to be finalized and presented to the council multiple times before it is officially approved.
That sounds great. If they care about Millennials, then that means they are bringing in one of the healthy food grocery stores??? We don’t need another basic grocery store so close to Publix and the Walmart Neighborhood Center. I hope that Office Depot stays, though. I use their business service area all the time and it’s very convenient for Oldsmar small businesses. They can also bulldoze that KFC and bring in Chipotle or another emerging chain of healthier food options. St. Pete is getting a lot of new modern quick dining offerings that appeal to younger-minded patrons. We need some here, and especially that close to the BMX track! I truly love that Oldsmar is trying to redesign itself to appeal to younger, active families and professionals. Great job y’all!!
What a great decision on Woodland Square Sopping Center. We are there all the time. Would love to see all the units filled. Great job our City Council continues to do. Thank you.
Can it be a Trader Joes please and thank you.
I’ve been told it is NOT a Trader Joe’s, Publix or Whole Foods but a national, organic-type grocer.
That would be great!
Please, please do NOT take away Eve’s restaurant. The food there is great and the prices are within the reach of those on the fixed monthly income. Think of the senior ciizens who patronize Eve’s on a daily basis. Sometimes 2-3 times a day. Don’t think only of the $$$$ but the senior citizrns who get overlooked far to often.
Think of the milenialls! They’re more important than the dying generation of cheapskates!
They are NOT priced within reach. Too much even with renovation!
Agree with Louis Imbody, “EVE’s Restaurant” is original, good food. PLEASE don’t close it. There are not enough “mom and pop” restaurants in Oldsmar. They are all from chains. Also, DO NOT get rid of the Kentucky Fried Chicken. There isn’t another KFC within 10 miles.
By all means save EVE’S we need her restaurant!!!
Yeah keep the mom and pop place cause they’re a too many chains but don’t get rid of the KFC.. You should order a bucket of hypocrisy while you’re at it.
Parking at this mall is grossly inadequate – adding or expanding businesses without addition of a parking garage or structure will only make this much worse. All of the shops adjacent to the theater had zero parking. Quite often, we went to Cobb or Muvico because we simply couldn’t find parking near AMC.
I agree with Mr. Miano,the parking situation in the AMC lot is horrendous, having to park and walk from the southernmost area to the theatre at times. No wonder they don’t keep tenants in the other units. Their would be patrons have no place to park.
Linda Tipton
Thank god for legs.
All I hear today is trying to get younger people more places to go and for get senior citizens that bought there homes close to woodlands square.
1. Had grocery store
2. Eve’s Restaurant (great food.prices affordable.all day breakfast.friendly)
Been here for 30years.
3.Don’t want chain restaurant of more healthy foods restaurant or grocery store
4. 55+ across the street over 600 homes what you doing for us nothing closing what we need
Yeah I wonder why? It’s not like the millennials are gonna be here for another 80+ years while your generation has less than 10..
Are you serious? The generation you’re so quick to kill off gave birth to the millennials…fought wars…and have to deal with uncaring, selfish people like you as a reward. Why? You need another organic food store? A trendy, overpriced place to order a cocktail and a $15 burger?
At least those places are more beneficial to society then your sad piece of existence.
You have no respect and are part of what makes our generation (I was born in 1988) look like entitled brats. I’m guessing you’re a liberal Democrat also? Icing on top of the cake.
I was born in 87, and you make my generation look like a bunch of cry babies. Not to mention you assume things that have nothing to do with the conversation. Liberal democrat? Pssh.. Have you seen my name?
Noo!! More hometown and comfortable/affordable family- owned businesses are what we need more of. That idiot does not speak for us all. I enjoy craft street…i also enjoy She’s. To each their own.
I heard there is going to be a petsmart and ulta. Ugh as someone in their 30’s I wanted a grocery store and more mom and pop places.
Poor Harriet, she’s more to be pitied than scolded
Just like how I pity your sorry piece of existence.