In April, Insight reported that the Cape Cod Mall was a “wasteland” because multiple large businesses had left the mall and perpetual construction plagued the exterior. Students had said that they primarily shopped online because of the mall’s condition. Now, seven months later, the mall is bustling with the renovation of Not Your Average Joes, Planet Fitness, Five Guys, and the opening of Target.

Target officially opened its doors on Oct 15 for the holiday season. According to the Cape Cod Times, the store is considered “small-format” because it’s only 80,000 square feet compared to the typical 140,000. The store itself includes a Starbucks to the left of the main entrance, a mini CVS, a grocery section, and has all the items any other Target would stock. 

Adjacent to Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods is currently under heavy construction. The entire area is closed off to the public, with only a sliver of the parking lot open for traffic to flow through. Dick’s is confirmed to open in July of 2020 according to the Cape Cod Mall website, For now, it’s just another massive hole in the mall’s storefront.

Still on the north side of the mall, Five Guys, Visionworks, and Chipotle Mexican Grill have now relocated beside the Barnes and Noble with an updated facade. This is the first of many portions of the mall that are receiving facelifts in order to make it more contemporary and bring back business. 

Construction is also being focused on places not within the mall but still on the property. Cape Cod Mall plans to debut a public area overlooking the pond on the south side by Regal Cinemas which will include outdoor seating, walkways heading to and from the property, lighting, decorative stamped concrete, pergolas (shaded walkways) and fresh landscaping. Some of this fresh landscaping has already been completed, such as the demolition of the Sears Auto Center building and replacing it with new driveways and parking lots with improved lighting. 

Additionally, a new dining pavilion and children’s playground are planned to be built on the mall’s premises. The playground will have a nautical theme and promote physical activities. 

With all of these new construction projects that are currently in progress or planned, the Cape Cod Mall is making large investments to stay relevant within the Hyannis community.