Demolition begins for apartments at Oviedo Mall

A large chunk of Oviedo Mall is being torn down to make way for apartments.Crews demolished the former Macy’s on the east side of the mall on Thursday. Back in July, the mall announced that the Macy’s would be torn down and replaced with Phase One of the project -- about 400 apartments, along with a new entrance for the mall. Kevin Hipes, director of development at Oviedo Mall, told News 6 back in July that it would probably take up to two years before the apartments are available to lease.[WATCH: Toys’R’Us is heading to the Oviedo Mall]The mall is also planning to build another 325 apartments on the building’s west side a year or two later.Hipes says the long-planned apartments are a key part of the mall’s redevelopment. Hipes says he is hoping to lure a big company for the former Sears building to bring jobs to the area, making the mall a place to “eat, sleep, work, play.”