Whole Foods, Homesense To Lead $50M Sarasota Square Makeover

A $50 million transformation will soon replace the aging Sarasota Square Mall. The site will blend shops with living spaces, anchored by Whole Foods and Homesense stores. By 2026, the area will house 1,200 new apartments alongside 300,000 square feet of retail space.

At 8249 S. Tamiami Trail, builders have filed permits for a new commercial structure. Plans show a 32-foot-tall building spanning 75,000 square feet, with construction costs set at $8.4 million. County officials received these documents on Aug. 15, 2025.

The building's layout puts Whole Foods in a 35,828-square-foot section at one end, while Homesense takes 24,214 square feet at the other. Smaller shops will fill the middle spaces. Restaurants will take up areas between 3,000 and 7,500 square feet, while other stores will range from 3,000 to 12,000 square feet.

When finished, the mall will cover 585,822 square feet. Two major stores remain in place — Costco occupies 155,521 square feet, while J.C. Penney retains its 130,857-square-foot location. A new medical building will add 36,000 square feet to the existing space.

Illinois firm Torburn Partners owns most of the site. They spent $19 million in 2021 for the main building, then added the J.C. Penney space for $18 million in 2024.