One of the big box retailers in today's COLONIAL PLAZA power

center.

Photo from www.weingarten.com (Weingarten Realty Investors)

COLONIAL PLAZA
East Colonial Drive and Bumby Avenue
Orlando, Florida

Florida's first enclosed shopping mall was developed by Plaza Realty Associates and had its beginnings as an open-air, strip shopping center. COLONIAL PLAZA was built on a 45 acre tract, 1.5 miles northwest of downtown Orlando, on land previously occupied by the T.G. Lee Dairy.

The original, twenty-four store shopping complex was anchored by a 2-level (83,800 square foot) Tampa-based Belk Lindsey and J.G. McCrory 5 and 10. Its Publix supermarket held a grand opening February 2, 1956. The center's Ronnie's Jewish Deli became something of an Orlando tradition.

In the autumn of 1962, a fully-enclosed mall corridor was completed. It had been added in the center of the center and extended southward to a 4-level (215,700 square foot), Miami-based, Jordan Marsh of Florida.

Retailers in the new, climate-controlled concourse included Edna's ladies' apparel, Howard apparel, Mode-A-Day apparel, Rutland's apparel and Plaza News.

The Plaza Theatre, an outparcel of the mall, opened in November 1963. It was a Googie-style, nine hundred-seat, single-screen operation, eventually made into a multiplex. It became a live performance venue in 1993.

The second enclosed mall in Central Florida, WINTER PARK MALL, was constructed in the northern suburb of Winter Park in 1964. This was followed by FASHION SQUARE MALL, which opened (less than a mile east of COLONIAL PLAZA) in 1973.

As a competitive measure, COLONIAL PLAZA was extended farther southward during 1972 and '73. The existing Belk Lindsey (at the northeast corner of the mall site) moved into a newly-built, 2-level (153,000 square foot) store, which anchored the South Wing addition.

A second expansion, coming inline in 1983, added a 2-level (79,400 square foot), Charlotte-based J.B. Ivey. This was built in the north parking lot, facing East Colonial Drive. COLONIAL PLAZA now encompassed 970,000 leasable square feet.

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, larger malls were built in the outer ring suburbs. Soon, the PLAZA was in a state of decline. Its Ivey's was rebranded as a Dillard's in early 1991. Jordan Marsh closed October 1, 1991.

The Belk Lindsey chain was acquired by Dillard's in 1992, but the store was shuttered and not rebranded. Dillard's pulled out of the mall in 1995, leaving the complex without an anchor to sustain it.

Atlanta-based Cousins Properties purchased the ailing center in 1995 and began an eighteen month demalling project. Three structures in the old mall were retained and renovated.

Part of the older Belk Lindsey became Shoe Carnival; the former Publix, a Barnes and Noble. Walgreen's moved into a new store in the front parking area, with its former location being occupied by Petco. Lastly, the circa-1973 Belk Lindsey (the south anchor) was subdivided into a Marshalls and Rhodes Furniture.

The 487,700 square foot COLONIAL PLAZA MARKETPLACE power center was dedicated in November 1996. It included major big box stores, such as Circuit City (44,000 square feet), Ross Dress For Less (28,000) and Stein Mart (36,000).

The complex was sold again in April 2001; the buyer being Houston-based Weingarten Realty Investors. Apparently, they have rechristened the shopping venue with its original shopping mall moniker, for it is now officially referred to as COLONIAL PLAZA.

Sources:

Malls Of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster

www.cinematreasures.com
Comment posts by James, Randy and "Anonymous"
www.cousinsproperties.com
www.weingarten.com
http://www.deadmalls.com/