After sitting empty for a year and a half, it looks as though work may soon begin on the abandoned Kmart in Kill Devil Hills.
The old Kmart had managed to hang on longer than most of its sister stores, but corporate bankruptcy finally lowered the boom last February.
Nothing seemed to be happening with the empty store for more than six months, but finally in October of 2020 came word that big box retailer Target had purchased the property and was planning a store at the location.
And then nothing…until word came today that Target had applied for a permit with the Kill Devil Hills planning department.
According to Target, they are planning on dividing the approximately 120,000 square foot structure into to two retail spaces. Target will occupy most of the building with an 80,000-square-foot space at the southern end of the site. Included in the retail space will be a Starbucks and CVS.
The north end will be leased to a retailer, although it is not clear if it would be one retailer or the option to subdivide would be available.
Target does not appear to have a timeline for either construction or opening at this time. Asked about when they would be be moving the project forward by a reporter for the Outer Banks Voice, the email response was, “We don’t have any updates at this time, but as we get closer to opening the store in Kill Devil Hills, we’ll have more specific details to share.”
The news that Target is preparing to move forward and develop the site had been met with mixed reaction from Outer Banks residents and visitors—some decrying the loss of the community feel of the area, others noting that Kmart was already a big box store and that Target represents a more upscale version of the discount retailer.
There’s always something new happening on the Outer Banks. Stop by for a visit and stay awhile in a Brindley Beach Vacations home and discover what life on a sandbar is really like.