By Mary Thurwachter
It’s been almost seven years since Kmart shuttered in Lantana. The 84,000-square-foot building at 1201 S. Dixie Highway remains empty and an adjacent building fronting on Greynolds Road is giving off serious ghost town vibes with all the businesses — including Lantana Pizza, a local favorite — having vacated the premises.
The 18-acre shopping center site is being redeveloped into Lantana Village Square, a mixed-use residential and retail community. Signs of impending growth haven’t been noticeable — although FPL trucks have been working behind the old Kmart building, according to tenants of the shopping center.
Integra, the developer, “has been working closely with staff on some very minor amendments to the previously approved site plan,” said Nicole Dritz, Lantana’s director of development. “They did apply for demo permits; however, those were abandoned. There are no current demo permits. Integra has indicated they would like to start demo this fall. They have submitted building permits for the new structures, which are under review. There are some conditions of approval that they must meet before permits will be issued, such as $45,000 for transit upgrades as well as impact fees.”
Selma Rabelo, who is managing the project for the developer, said Integra is hoping to get the project underway before the end of the year. “We’re excited to move forward with this project,” which she said would be “welcoming to the local community.”
With Kmart closed, the largest retail tenant remaining in the shopping center is Winn-Dixie, which has a multiyear lease and occupies 165,000 square feet. There’s also a 9,000-square-foot storefront housing West Marine, which has been at the site for more than eight years and plans to stay put.
But change is coming.
The town-approved site plan includes a phased redevelopment with 426 dwelling units and 21,967 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
“Phase I includes three-story buildings with 307 dwelling units centered around a main-street-style design concept featuring approximately 12,000 square feet of commercial space, a large public open space, wide pedestrian sidewalks, outdoor seating areas, elevated streetscape furnishings, enhanced landscaping, electric vehicle charging stations, and modern coastal architectural elements,” according to the Town Manager Report on the town’s website.
“The design emphasizes walkability, sustainability, and the creation of a vibrant mixed-use environment intended to complement the surrounding community.”
Town code permits 15 units per acre, and the master plan allows for 25, so the town agreed to change the permitted number to 25. Units will include studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Comments