Did you ever shop at the old Sears department store on Babcock Street in Melbourne?
I went there a dozen or so times before it closed for good in 2018. Frankly, it was a great place to shop—mostly because it was a massive, stand-alone store that was never busy. But I guess that was the problem.
It was surrounded by a legendary ocean of asphalt. A thousand parking spots for ten cars!
Built back in 1968 during the peak of the original Apollo-era Space Coast boom, that Sears was a pillar of the local retail scene for decades. But as the era of the giant department store faded, the crowds vanished.
Today, that 14-acre site looks completely different—and the transformation is comlete.
Instead of being reduced to rubble, the old 100,000-square-foot building got a massive “adaptive reuse” makeover. It has been fully converted into… you guessed it, a storage facility. (Go Store It Self Storage, to be exact, housing 740 climate-controlled units).
And as for that massive ocean of asphalt? It’s gone. In its place sits the brand-new Madison Midtown Apartments, a 240-unit luxury complex complete with a resort-style pool and a community lounge.
It is a massive, high-density change from the quiet, breezy retail giant of the past.
— Nathan
Did you use to shop at the Babcock Sears back in the day? What do you think of the new apartments and storage setup replacing it? Let me know in the comments below!