Pier Park North preps for grand opening

PANAMA CITY BEACH — The walls are up at Pier Park North and developers are now are focused on filling the remaining space.

The shopping center’s first store, Dick’s Sporting Goods, opened in early March, and more retailers have been putting out their grand opening signs and banners since then.

With the addition of clothing store Ross, which opened Friday, officials say open stores will occupy 56 percent of the 370,000-square-foot development space.

“Leasing and activity at Pier Park North is going very well,” said Sarah Hatcher, director of marketing and public relations with property management company Casto. With Ross open, Pier Park North is “over 50 percent occupied and open as a whole, which puts us at over 80 percent leased up.”

Pier Park North is on U.S. 98 across from Pier Park and is a partnership between the St. Joe Co., Casto and Strategic Real Estate Advisors (SRA). The development has about 45 total storefronts, including in and out parcels, 26 of which are either open or have fully executed leases.

Hatcher said a large number of store leases are still under negotiation and cannot yet be announced, but the shopping center is still not quite filled up.

“What is available are shop spaces ranging from 2,300 square feet to 4,000 square feet,” she said.

Officials broke ground on the project in early 2013 and will host a grand opening celebration for the shopping center next month.

“We’re very pleased with the project and look forward to a grand opening event to take place in mid-August,” said Hatcher, adding the Aug. 16 event will feature plenty of free family-oriented activities. “We look forward to the local Panama City Beach community and tourists to participate.”

Hatcher said the area’s booming tourism economy played a big role in the project.

“I do think the vacation rental numbers were a large driver for understanding the demand for the center,” she said. 

Open stores

- Ross

- Rooms To Go

- Dick’s Sporting Goods

- Michaels

- Bed, Bath & Beyond

- Kirkland’s

- Pier 1 Imports

- Shoe Carnival

- Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt

- Fuzzy Peach Frozen Yogurt

- PetSmart

- Great Clips

- Men’s Warehouse

- Mattress Firm

Executed leases

- Cost Plus World Market

- Gypsea Clothing

- Sally Beauty

- Lee Nails

- Hibachi Cafe

- Chan’s Wine World

- Cato

- Jake’s Wayback Burgers

- Texas Roadhouse

- IHOP

- Aspen Dental

- Maxfit Sports Nutrition