JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A long-vacant Arlington landmark has been reborn.
JWB Real Estate Capital has invested more than $20 million to transform the former Town and Country Shopping Center off Arlington Expressway and University Boulevard.
The shopping center, originally built between 1953 and 1979, was once a community hub before years of decline left it largely empty.
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“This was a bustling place 70 years ago,” Alex Sifakis of JWB Real Estate said. “It had fallen into disrepair, and JWB purchased it a couple of years ago and has done a gigantic renovation with midcentury modern architecture. The neighborhood has responded; it’s been starving for this sort of thing.”
JWB’s overhaul and the return of daily foot traffic are the latest signs of Arlington’s broader revival.
It’s now called College Park, a renovated retail destination anchored by a new Winn-Dixie and a mix of locally owned businesses.
Among the tenants is Arlington Bait and Tackle, which underwent a full remodel. The fishing store spent more than a decade in the old shopping center and remains with new owners at the helm.
“We built a real live fishing dock in here,” owner Dan Manjack said, noting the shop can host “bait shop weddings” on the mock fishing dock inside the store. “We had over 20,000 transactions last year, and 55,000 people came through that front door. Fishermen, daily, they come in here. They go to public parks around here, the boat ramps. In the mornings, it’s hustling and bustling.”
JWB said leasing interest has been steady as it works to curate a neighborhood feel.
Manjack is also planning to open First Gear Coffee next door to the tackle shop, and there are plans to transform the neighboring courtyard into a gathering space, with a stage for live music and other community events.
“It starts with the entrepreneur,” said Adam Rigel of JWB. “We have lots of people who reach out and want to fill spaces, but we want it to be a gathering place. We’re trying to curate the family components and bring the right tenants to the center.”
Conie’s Ice Cream, another College Park tenant, is seeing momentum build.
“We have deep roots in the Arlington area. We want to see it get back to what it once was,” owner Brian Kraut said. “It’s been slow growing, as you know, the center had been dead for a long time, so a lot of people haven’t been in the shopping center, and we’re kind of far off the road, but people now are starting to discover us. So it’s been picking up.”
College Park also includes Suited4Success, a nonprofit that provides free professional attire to job seekers. The organization’s space is fully donated, allowing it to serve more people at no cost.