The currently-shuttered Sun-Vet Mall is going to be redeveloped as part of an $87 million plan to transform it into The Shops as SunVet, with Amazon-owned grocery chain Whole Foods Market slated to be one of the outlet's anchors, according to reports.
Originally built in 1973, Sun-Vet Mall had seen its tenant pool shrinking for years; while previously a bury shopping center with a variety of businesses calling it home, the loss of several anchors - including Toys R Us and Pathmark, among others - sent the mall into a downward spiral before it was finally forced to close its doors.
The new developer of the property, Regency Centers, is in the process of demolishing portions of the original structure - while adaptively re-using other parts - in order to transform the property from its existing 280,000-square-foot building to a 168,000-square-foot open-air shopping center.
The Shops as SunVet, according to the developer, will consist of a Whole Foods Market serving as an anchor along with two other businesses; all told, there will center will include 53,000-square-feet of shops - including a Starbucks coffee shop - and six out-parcels.
An existing Citibank already located at the site will remain open for now, but will relocate near the end of 2024.
Demolition of Sun-Vet Mall is slated to continue throughout the winter, with construction of the new center to begin in the summer of 2024.