Crews began tearing down portions of Indian River Mall this week, starting the first phase of a major revitalization project at the longtime shopping center. Project manager Joseph Scarfone said workers are demolishing the former Macy's building and will soon take down the area where Sears once stood.
Neighbors gathered in the mall parking lot to watch the demolition unfold. Mary Alice Stopyra said she welcomed the change, noting the mall had degraded over time. Mark Manera, a Vero Beach resident who has visited the mall for years, described it as resembling a graveyard and said he witnessed a steady decline year after year. Manera said he hopes the change will bring new life, jobs, and opportunity to the area.
Scarfone said the site will be transformed into a sleek and modern indoor and outdoor shopping center featuring around 300,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and possible residential spaces. He described the vision as a city within a city, replacing what he called a dead mall that had collected cobwebs for the last 12 years.
The project manager said he hopes the first phase can be completed by 2027. Scarfone said permitting work for the remaining phases of the project is still underway.