Starbucks, Ross, Planet Fitness, Burlington, Five Below: New stores coming to Gateway Plaza

Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read
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A New York developer is renovating the dilapidated and nearly empty Gateway Plaza and attracting new businesses to the Fort Pierce strip mall, including Starbucks and Planet Fitness, according to city records.

Time Equities Inc. owns the plaza at U.S. 1 and Virginia Avenue, which also will be home to these new tenants, city records show: Burlington, Ross Dress for Less, Bravo Supermarkets, Five Below, dd’s Discounts and America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses.

TCPalm doesn't know when the renovation will be completed or when the new stores will open because the Cohen Commercial property managers haven't responded to multiple emails and phone calls seeking information.

The gym is expected to open early next year, according to a Planet Fitness spokesperson.

Construction begins to renovate and revive Gateway Plaza in Fort Pierce on Oct. 25, 2023.
Construction begins to renovate and revive Gateway Plaza in Fort Pierce on Oct. 25, 2023.

Plans for Gateway Plaza in Fort Pierce

The developer plans to expand the 14.2-acre property to include the former boatyard north of the plaza and make these improvements, city records show:

  • Give the plaza a new and modern-looking façade

  • Repair all of the bays

  • Replace most of the roofs

  • Add parking and landscaping

  • Resurface the entire parking lot

  • Improve and integrate drainage

In addition to the long strip mall, Gateway Plaza includes two standalone buildings: the Wawa gas station that opened in 2021 and one that will house Starbucks and possibly T-Mobile, city records show.

“The site is a massive shopping mall on a busy intersection and has fallen into disuse and abandonment,” city records state. “The proposed improvements to the shopping center will bring high-value tenants to an area that is in drastic need of an uplift.”

Construction begins to renovate and revive Gateway Plaza in Fort Pierce on Nov. 7, 2023.
Construction begins to renovate and revive Gateway Plaza in Fort Pierce on Nov. 7, 2023.

Former Kmart Plaza in Fort Pierce

The plaza was built in 1969 and expanded in 1982 and again in 1983.

It was anchored by an 88,732-square-foot Kmart that opened in 1976 and closed in 2017. It also was home to a Winn-Dixie grocery store that closed in 2013. Since then, most tenants have left.

Only a few businesses remain, including a Family Dollar and Little Caesars.

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter @TCPalmLaurie and Facebook @TCPalmLaurie. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Fort Pierce plaza revamps, brings Starbucks, Ross, Planet Fitness