(Crystal Proenza is associate editor of Real Estate Florida.)

ST. PETERSBURG, FL-During 2008, Sears Holdings Corp. announced that they'd be closing 28 Kmart, Super K, Sears Grand and Sears Essentials stores nationwide, including three located in Florida. Now, the Hoffman Estates, IL-based retailer has added another 24 locations to be vacated, five of which are Kmart/Essentials located in Florida. The company could not disclose additional information about why these locations were chosen, or the exact size of each store. According to the company's full-year results for 2008, Sears saw a net income of $360 million in the fourth quarter of 2008, compared to net income of $426 million in the fourth quarter of 2007.

A spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com that the average Southeast Kmart is about 90,000 square feet and each one employs anywhere from 50 to 100 individuals. Most of the locations are leased, a fact that will no doubt deal another big box blow to shopping centers.

One Kmart at 8191 S Tamiami Trail in Sarasota, along with two Essentials stores located at 9500 9th St. N in St. Petersburg and 2130 Gulf to Bay Blvd. in Clearwater have been closed. Now, additional locations will be shuttered at 4000 Goldenrod Road N, Winter Park; 2800 34th St. N, St. Petersburg; 3951 34th St. S St. Petersburg; 9200 Wiles Road, Coral Springs; and 15201 N Cleveland N, Fort Myers. According to information filed under Florida's 2009 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Notices, a total of 244 employees will be laid off in four of those locations. Lay offs at the Fort Myers location were not yet listed. So far in 2009, a total of 2,146 workers have been laid off within the retail sector in Florida, according to the state's WARN notices.