No. 8: Sunshine Towne Center, site of second Target, takes shape

A second Target store is under construction in west Springfield at the southeast corner of the intersection of West Sunshine Street and West Bypass.

The land deal for the property, inked in December 2023, came to the public notice in January with the report of a Dec. 18 warranty deed filing in the Greene County assessor’s office. The deed transferred land to Target Corp. from Springfield West Partners LLC within a commercial subdivision described as Sunshine Towne Center.

One member of the Springfield West Partners duo is commercial developer Curtis Jared, who is responsible for a number of retail properties in the Queen City, among them Brentwood Center North and South, through Jared Enterprises Inc., which he serves as president and CEO.

The other partner is Tom Walker, a St. Louis-area developer who is also familiar locally, having developed the Walmart Supercenter located across West Bypass from the Target site. Walker owns Retail Realty Group LLC.

Jared said he is handling the development side while Walker manages off-site and on-site infrastructure on the site, which was previously occupied by manufactured and modular home dealer Elite Homes Center.

According to ordinances passed by Springfield City Council last year, the $60 million Sunshine Towne Center development would encompass 23 acres on which a 148,000-square-foot Target store would be sited, with some 50,000 square feet of additional retail space and three standalone parcels, one of which would be a 7,500-square-foot restaurant.

That tenant was announced in September: Olive Garden is adding a second Springfield location in the shopping center at 3370 W. Sunshine St. A company official confirmed the plans with Springfield Business Journal after a building permit was filed for the eatery with the city of Springfield.

“We’re early in the process, but we expect to open in summer of next year,” said Brittany Baron, Olive Garden’s manager of communications, in an email.

City Council approved a community improvement district for the development at its March meeting. A 1% sales and use tax can be assessed to reimburse the developer for $4 million in public improvements. Most of the shopping center will be part of the CID, though the Target store will not. The CID covers 11 acres of the site and will stand for 20 years.

The development team is keeping some cards close to its vest. For instance, Jared said Springfield West Partners would retain 42% ownership of the site while developing some of the remainder of the property for another large retail user that he declined to name.

Jared said at the time that he believes companies should have the opportunity to make their own announcements when they’re ready.

“I think Springfield will be pleased with it,” he said.

He posited in January reporting that the development would spur additional projects in the area, and that forecast seems to have been accurate. West of the intersection, The Vibe Crossing apartment complex, which opened in the summer, touts its proximity to the Walmart Supercenter and Sunshine Towne Center as a plus for residents.