A 140,000-sqft Target is Coming to Countryside Mall

Benderson Development has acquired the Whole Foods and the upcoming two-story Target location at Countryside Mall in Clearwater. This move consolidates control of key anchor sites at one of Tampa Bay's major regional malls.

The company, Benderson, plays a major role in national retail and mixed-use development. They have a strong presence in Florida and see the Countryside deal as part of a broader strategy focusing on busy areas and centers anchored by grocery stores.

The Target being constructed will fill a 140,000-square-foot two-story building. It will replace the former Sears anchor site that closed in 2018 when Sears downsized nationally. The Countryside site had been divided to accommodate Whole Foods Market and Nordstrom Rack, continuing the trend of reworking large retail spaces.

The redesign plans feature an open pathway that will connect Target directly to the mall. This effort aims to refresh the retail space by integrating the big-box store into the mall's internal flow rather than leaving it as a standalone exterior entry.

This new connection is part of a larger push to enhance Countryside’s guest experience. Previous updates aimed to sustain the mall from the 1970s against newer shopping hubs and online shopping.

This project fits within a broader trend of revitalizing older commercial properties in the area. Property owners are transforming old mall anchors for uses like grocery, discount retail, and big national brands instead of traditional department stores.

Clearwater’s U.S. 19 corridor and nearby zones have been identified by local officials and developers as prime spots for redevelopment. The goal is to transform these spaces into more vibrant, higher-intensity retail and mixed-use hotspots.

The redesign is expected to significantly impact Clearwater’s retail scene as we approach 2026. It strengthens Countryside’s role as a regional attraction at a time when many old retail properties have faced demolition or conversion in Pinellas County.

City leaders have described the 60-plus-acre Countryside Mall site as one of the biggest and most significant redevelopment opportunities in Tampa Bay. The area has the potential to become a community hub where people can live, work, shop, and dine.