The 100,000-square-foot building that formerly housed Kmart in Ramona is in the process of being transformed with a new look, multiple shops and a new name.
The site has been renamed Ramona Station and changes include a new facade and several new tenants, said John Ardigo, director of construction with Tourmaline Capital, a real estate development firm working on the project.
“We are looking forward to completing the project and having the shops open by the end of summer 2026,” Ardigo said.
Kmart closed in 2020; the property was sold to Ramona Station LLC in 2022 for $7.3 million.
Kmart dominated the front facade of the building facing Main Street. Now, there will be an overall theme for the shopping center, with individual storefronts having their own signage and overhangs, Ardigo said.
The project is divided into four separate shops — a Marshalls, PetSmart, Five Below and Grocery Outlet Bargain Market.
Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores offering items such as family apparel and home fashion. PetSmart stores sell pet food, pet supplies, pet accessories and some pet services.
Five Below is a chain of specialty discount gift shops with a wide variety of merchandise at varying low prices. Grocery Outlet Bargain Market offers discounted, overstocked and closeout products from name-brand and private-label suppliers, as well as staples such as fresh meat, dairy and bread.
Renderings of Ramona Station show the covered walkways, which begin at Little Caesars and continue to the end of Dollar Tree, a tenant from the original site that has been retained.
“The new look will be a dramatic change to how the building appears, and the look will carry down around all the shops, including to Dollar Tree,” Ardigo said. “Most of the block walls will be covered with a mix of mostly brick and some wood and it’s going to look really nice.”
of the new businesses that will be part of the Ramona Station project. (Courtesy John Ardigo)
Ardigo said the signage for the various businesses was approved Nov. 6 by the Ramona Community Planning Group, and the individual shop signs would be put up shortly before they open.
Marshalls is the largest of the new tenants, at 23,002 square feet, with Grocery Outlet at 18,000 square feet, PetSmart at 16,792 square feet and Five Below, at 9,470 square feet.
The 478 parking spaces will remain. Some sections of the parking lot will be repaired, and the lot will be restriped, Ardigo said.
The large outdoor garden shop area that formed part of the former Kmart is now enclosed and will be part of the interior of PetSmart, he said. PetSmart will also have a new loading dock at the side of the business.
All the other tenants will have street-level loading access, and delivery trucks will be able to park in the back of the buildings. Each shop will have new enclosures for their trash areas, and Marshalls will have a trash compactor, he said.
Although the final landscaping is yet to be determined, Ardigo said the existing trees will be retained when possible. Dead or damaged trees will be replaced.
Although each business will open on its own schedule, the goal is for all the shops to be open within a couple of weeks of each other.
“We’re excited to work with the community of Ramona to enhance the local shopping opportunities here,” Ardigo said.
