The shopping city's original trademark. In 1967, umbrella-motif mall logos were much in vogue. The idea was to leave your umbrella at home.
Graphic from Theodore W. Berenson & Associates
The grand opening of Tampa's first fully-enclosed and weather-protected mall was announced by this full-page newspaper spread, dated September 27, 1967. The 10 million dollar shopping hub opened with thirty-five stores. There would eventually be thirty-eight.
Advert from Theodore W. Berenson & Associates
WEST SHORE PLAZA SHOPPING CITY TENANTS 1967:
MAAS BROTHERS (with Beauty Salon and Suncoast Restaurant) / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, Colonial Coffee Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / F. W. WOOLWORTH (with luncheonette) / PANTRY PRIDE supermarket / Baker's Shoes / Baron's of Tampa men's wear / Colony Shops ladies' wear / Doctor Louis F. Serchia, Optometrist / Fanny Farmer Candies / Firestone Car Care (outparcel) / Florida Shoe Service / George M. O'Neil Company Card Shop / Hollywood Travel, Incorporated / Jarman Shoes / Lawton's Jewelers / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Marquis Cleaners & Laundry / Mary Jane Sportswear / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Modern Beauty Salon / National Shirt Shops / Orange Bowl snack bar / Piccadilly Cafeteria / Poller's ladies' wear / Scot Ties / Singer Sewing Center / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Spencer Gifts / Tellone Barber Shop / The Second National Bank of Tampa / Thom McAn Shoes / U.S. Juvenile Shoes / Villa Shops / Waldenbooks / Walgreen Drug (with luncheonette) / Wolf Brothers men's wear / Zales Jewelers
In a circa-1967 shot, we see the mall's original Center Court, Fountain and F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
Photo from Tropical Cards
A view from the opposite side of the Center Court and Fountain (with Woolworth behind). The main mallway at WEST SHORE PLAZA extended for five hundred and ten feet and included three fountains; one in front of Maas Brothers, this one in front of Woolworth's, and another facing Penneys.
Photo from Tropical Cards
The first expansion of the mall was done in 1973-1974. A Northeast Wing and parking garage were added and Robinson's of Florida opened as a third anchor. When construction dust settled, WEST SHORE PLAZA encompassed approximately 869,000 leasable square feet and contained sixty-two stores. Parking facilities now accommodated nearly 4,000 autos.
A snapshot of Maas Brothers, for years the mall's north anchor. The store was rebranded by Miami-based Burdines in 1991 and Macy's in 2005.
Photo from Wikipedia / "BaronPlourde"
Pantry Pride was shuttered in 1979, with its space divided into five stores. The grocery structure was expanded southward in the mid-1980s. Part of this addition, and a portion of a vacant Walgreen Drug, were used for the mall's first Food Court (dark gray). A mall-wide face lift was completed in May 1993, with the complex redone in a Spanish-Mediterranean motif.
The WEST SHORE Saks, which opened in November 1998. Its construction was the second stage of a three-phase renovation. The aforementioned 1993 face lift comprised the first stage. The third (and final) part of the project would get underway in the year 2000.
Photo from www.glimcher.com / Glimcher Realty Trust
By 2001, the mall's official name ("West Shore") was written as one word instead of two. The recent renovation brought Saks Fifth Avenue and built two Parkade garages. A Southeast Wing was also created out of the old Food Court and an eastward -and upward- addition. WESTSHORE PLAZA now spanned over 1 million leasable square feet. There were 100 stores and free parking for 4,850 autos.
By 2016, Dillard's has morphed into Sears (2002), Burdines has been "Macy-ated" (2005) and Saks has been replaced by Dick's Sporting Goods (2014). Swedish retailer H & M has also set up shop in the mall (2012). Two new casual dining restaurant have been added; P.F. Chang's China Bistro (2003) and Seasons 52 (2010).
Here we see Center Court at today's WESTSHORE PLAZA. Obviously, the area looks quite different than in the two circa-1967 photos above. Back in the day, we would have been looking at a Woolworth's mallway entrance. Now, we see those for H & M and New York & Company.
Photo from http://www.wpglimcher.com / WP Glimcher Leasing Brochure
North West Shore and West J.F.K. Boulevards
Tampa, Florida
The first fully-enclosed shopping center in the Tampa Bay Area was designed by Boston's Sumner Schein, and developed by a joint venture of Philadelphia-based Strouse, Greenburg & Company and Boston-based Dreyfuss Properties, Incorporated (later known as Theodore W. Berenson & Associates).
WEST SHORE PLAZA SHOPPING CITY was built on a 50-acre plot, located 4 miles west of center city Tampa. The site was adjacent to the Interstate 4 expressway (which was redesignated as Interstate 75 in 1969). A 3-level (238,000 square foot), Tampa-based Maas Brothers opened for business on October 19, 1966. The mall's 2-level (209,000 square foot) J.C. Penney welcomed first customers on September 7, 1967. A mall-wide dedication was held on September 28th.
Enveloping approximately 623,400 leasable square feet, WEST SHORE PLAZA housed thirty-eight stores, including Walgreen Drug, Piccadilly Cafeteria, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and Pantry Pride supermarket. There were also freestanding "Penneys" and Firestone Car Care centers.
The region's second enclosed shopping center, GATEWAY MALL {9.8 miles southwest, in St. Petersburg} opened in March 1968. The third, SUNSHINE MALL {15 miles west, in Clearwater}, was dedicated in September 1968. FLORILAND MALL {7.2 miles northeast, in Tampa} was inaugurated in October 1972. UNIVERSITY SQUARE {9.1 miles northeast, in Hillsborough County} began business in August 1974, with TAMPA BAY CENTER {2.5 miles northeast, in Tampa} being dedicated in August 1976.
An expansion of WEST SHORE PLAZA had been announced in June 1972. A Northeast Wing was built, that was anchored by a 2-level (159,000 square foot), St. Petersburg-based Robinson's Of Florida. A multi-level parking garage was also constructed. Robinson's opened for business on November 4, 1974, accompanied by twenty-five inline stores. These included Gourmet Wine & Cheese, Record Bar, Casual Corner and a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant.
In 1980, a new expressway was completed through the eastern hinterlands of Tampa. It was designated as Interstate 75, with its original route (which passed by WEST SHORE PLAZA) being renamed Interstate 275.
The WEST SHORE PLAZA Pantry Pride had been shuttered on January 27, 1979. The (22,500 square foot) space was incorporated into the shopping concourse and divided into five inline stores; one being Oshman's Sporting Goods. This project was completed in the summer of 1980. The Pantry Pride structure was expanded southward in the mid-1980s. This area, and a portion of a vacant Walgreen Drug, were built into a small Food Court. The mall now encompassed around 869,000 leasable square feet and housed seventy-six stores and services.
The first WEST SHORE PLAZA anchor nameplate change was done following the August 1987 acquisition of several Robinson's of Florida stores by Baton Rouge-based Goudchaux's ["gawd-shawz"] -Maison Blanche. The stores operated as Robinson's-Maison Blanche until their conversion to bona fide Maison Blanche units, on March 28, 1988.
Dillard's acquired -and rebranded- Central Florida Maison Blanche stores (including the West Shore Plaza location) in August 1991. Maas Brothers stores in the Tampa Bay Area were rebannered by Miami-based Burdines on October 20 of the same year.
Britain's Grosvenor ["grove-nir"] International acquired WEST SHORE PLAZA in 1990. In 1992, they started the first stage of a three-phase mall renovation. A 9 million dollar face lift rebuilt the complex in a Spanish-Mediterranean motif. Skylights, marble flooring, tile fountains and palm trees were installed in the interior.
Moreover, a 3-story bell tower was built over Center Court and mall entrances were remodeled. New stores were brought in, including Cache, Gymboree and Audrey Jones, with The Bombay Company relocating into a larger space. The remodeling was completed in May 1993. Woolworth's closed for good in January 1994. It was divided into two sections by a new east-west mall corridor. The remaining area was fitted with inline store spaces.
The second phase of Grosvenor's mall renovation was announced in April 1997. The 170 million dollar project added South Parkade and West Parkade garages. Moreover, a 2-level (101,500 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue was constructed on the west side of the complex. This store's grand opening was held on November 12, 1998.
Phase Three of the WEST SHORE PLAZA remodeling came with a price tag of 85 million dollars. This endeavor, which got underway in the year 2000, rebuilt the southeast corner of the mall. The 1980s-vintage Food Court was relocated eastward (into the old Pantry Pride structure). The new food facility incorporated nine vendors and included Little Tokyo, Jus d'Orange, Twin Cactus, Max Orient, Bourbon Street Cafe, Le Petite Bistro and Cafe Sbarro.
Eighteen stores, encompassing 75,000 square feet, were constructed. A 1-level (25,000 square foot) Old Navy opened on November 10, 2000. The American Multi-Cinema Westshore 14, built in an upper level, also opened on November 10th. Two Streetscape-type restaurants were part of the addition. Maggiano's Little Italy made its debut on June 28, 2001, followed by The Palm (a Steak House), which served its first meals on July 26th.
As part of the Southeast Wing renovation, the official name of the mall, WEST SHORE PLAZA (three words), was altered to read WESTSHORE PLAZA (two words). A major rival, INTERNATIONAL PLAZA {1 mile northeast, in Tampa} was dedicated in September 2001. This uber-upscale shopping hub snatched the WESTSHORE PLAZA Dillard's, which was shuttered on September 13, 2001. Its space re-opened, as a Sears, on October 17, 2002. This store had been taken from an already-ailing TAMPA BAY CENTER, leaving that mall anchor-less.
Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust acquired WESTSHORE PLAZA in August 2003. By this time, the complex encompassed 1,059,000 leasable square feet and housed 124 stores and services. P.F. Chang's China Bistro, added to the mall's existing Streetscape, opened in February 2003. In the next year, Tampa area Burdines stores were rebranded. The conversion was done in two stages; Burdines-Macy's-branded stores debuted on January 30, 2004, with a bona fide Macy's brand appearing on March 6, 2005.
The Glimcher Realty Trust had become financially strapped as a result of The Great Recession. On March 10, it was announced that Glimcher was entering into a two-mall joint venture with New York City's Blackstone Group. The two shopping centers involved were LLOYD CENTER {in Portland, Oregon} and WESTSHORE PLAZA. In mid-2013, Glimcher established full ownership of the WESTSHORE property and relinquished its ownership interest in LLOYD CENTER.
Indiana's Simon Property Group created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust in May 2014. Known as the Washington Prime Group, it assumed ownership of several of Simon's "Grade B" malls. The Washington Property Group merged with the Glimcher Realty Trust in early 2015.
On May 4, 2013, the WESTSHORE PLAZA Saks Fifth Avenue was shuttered. The building was renovated and re-opened, as a Dick's Sporting Goods, on April 25, 2014. Meanwhile, two new Streetscape restaurants had debuted. Seasons 52 was dedicated on February 15, 2010. Besito Mexican Grill, taking the place of The Palm (Steak House), welcomed first diners on April 8, 2015. J.C. Penney announced the closing of its WESTSHORE store in June 2020, but then decided to keep the location open.
The region's second enclosed shopping center, GATEWAY MALL {9.8 miles southwest, in St. Petersburg} opened in March 1968. The third, SUNSHINE MALL {15 miles west, in Clearwater}, was dedicated in September 1968. FLORILAND MALL {7.2 miles northeast, in Tampa} was inaugurated in October 1972. UNIVERSITY SQUARE {9.1 miles northeast, in Hillsborough County} began business in August 1974, with TAMPA BAY CENTER {2.5 miles northeast, in Tampa} being dedicated in August 1976.
An expansion of WEST SHORE PLAZA had been announced in June 1972. A Northeast Wing was built, that was anchored by a 2-level (159,000 square foot), St. Petersburg-based Robinson's Of Florida. A multi-level parking garage was also constructed. Robinson's opened for business on November 4, 1974, accompanied by twenty-five inline stores. These included Gourmet Wine & Cheese, Record Bar, Casual Corner and a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant.
In 1980, a new expressway was completed through the eastern hinterlands of Tampa. It was designated as Interstate 75, with its original route (which passed by WEST SHORE PLAZA) being renamed Interstate 275.
The WEST SHORE PLAZA Pantry Pride had been shuttered on January 27, 1979. The (22,500 square foot) space was incorporated into the shopping concourse and divided into five inline stores; one being Oshman's Sporting Goods. This project was completed in the summer of 1980. The Pantry Pride structure was expanded southward in the mid-1980s. This area, and a portion of a vacant Walgreen Drug, were built into a small Food Court. The mall now encompassed around 869,000 leasable square feet and housed seventy-six stores and services.
The first WEST SHORE PLAZA anchor nameplate change was done following the August 1987 acquisition of several Robinson's of Florida stores by Baton Rouge-based Goudchaux's ["gawd-shawz"] -Maison Blanche. The stores operated as Robinson's-Maison Blanche until their conversion to bona fide Maison Blanche units, on March 28, 1988.
Dillard's acquired -and rebranded- Central Florida Maison Blanche stores (including the West Shore Plaza location) in August 1991. Maas Brothers stores in the Tampa Bay Area were rebannered by Miami-based Burdines on October 20 of the same year.
Britain's Grosvenor ["grove-nir"] International acquired WEST SHORE PLAZA in 1990. In 1992, they started the first stage of a three-phase mall renovation. A 9 million dollar face lift rebuilt the complex in a Spanish-Mediterranean motif. Skylights, marble flooring, tile fountains and palm trees were installed in the interior.
Moreover, a 3-story bell tower was built over Center Court and mall entrances were remodeled. New stores were brought in, including Cache, Gymboree and Audrey Jones, with The Bombay Company relocating into a larger space. The remodeling was completed in May 1993. Woolworth's closed for good in January 1994. It was divided into two sections by a new east-west mall corridor. The remaining area was fitted with inline store spaces.
The second phase of Grosvenor's mall renovation was announced in April 1997. The 170 million dollar project added South Parkade and West Parkade garages. Moreover, a 2-level (101,500 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue was constructed on the west side of the complex. This store's grand opening was held on November 12, 1998.
Phase Three of the WEST SHORE PLAZA remodeling came with a price tag of 85 million dollars. This endeavor, which got underway in the year 2000, rebuilt the southeast corner of the mall. The 1980s-vintage Food Court was relocated eastward (into the old Pantry Pride structure). The new food facility incorporated nine vendors and included Little Tokyo, Jus d'Orange, Twin Cactus, Max Orient, Bourbon Street Cafe, Le Petite Bistro and Cafe Sbarro.
Eighteen stores, encompassing 75,000 square feet, were constructed. A 1-level (25,000 square foot) Old Navy opened on November 10, 2000. The American Multi-Cinema Westshore 14, built in an upper level, also opened on November 10th. Two Streetscape-type restaurants were part of the addition. Maggiano's Little Italy made its debut on June 28, 2001, followed by The Palm (a Steak House), which served its first meals on July 26th.
As part of the Southeast Wing renovation, the official name of the mall, WEST SHORE PLAZA (three words), was altered to read WESTSHORE PLAZA (two words). A major rival, INTERNATIONAL PLAZA {1 mile northeast, in Tampa} was dedicated in September 2001. This uber-upscale shopping hub snatched the WESTSHORE PLAZA Dillard's, which was shuttered on September 13, 2001. Its space re-opened, as a Sears, on October 17, 2002. This store had been taken from an already-ailing TAMPA BAY CENTER, leaving that mall anchor-less.
Columbus, Ohio's Glimcher Realty Trust acquired WESTSHORE PLAZA in August 2003. By this time, the complex encompassed 1,059,000 leasable square feet and housed 124 stores and services. P.F. Chang's China Bistro, added to the mall's existing Streetscape, opened in February 2003. In the next year, Tampa area Burdines stores were rebranded. The conversion was done in two stages; Burdines-Macy's-branded stores debuted on January 30, 2004, with a bona fide Macy's brand appearing on March 6, 2005.
The Glimcher Realty Trust had become financially strapped as a result of The Great Recession. On March 10, it was announced that Glimcher was entering into a two-mall joint venture with New York City's Blackstone Group. The two shopping centers involved were LLOYD CENTER {in Portland, Oregon} and WESTSHORE PLAZA. In mid-2013, Glimcher established full ownership of the WESTSHORE property and relinquished its ownership interest in LLOYD CENTER.
Indiana's Simon Property Group created a spin-off Real Estate Investment Trust in May 2014. Known as the Washington Prime Group, it assumed ownership of several of Simon's "Grade B" malls. The Washington Property Group merged with the Glimcher Realty Trust in early 2015.
On May 4, 2013, the WESTSHORE PLAZA Saks Fifth Avenue was shuttered. The building was renovated and re-opened, as a Dick's Sporting Goods, on April 25, 2014. Meanwhile, two new Streetscape restaurants had debuted. Seasons 52 was dedicated on February 15, 2010. Besito Mexican Grill, taking the place of The Palm (Steak House), welcomed first diners on April 8, 2015. J.C. Penney announced the closing of its WESTSHORE store in June 2020, but then decided to keep the location open.
Sources:
The Tampa Tribune
The St. Petersburg Independent
The St. Petersburg Times
"Remembering Maas Brothers"/ Micheal Lisicky
"West Shore Plaza Expansion Study" / Robert Jay Colestock & Erin O'Leary Barker / July 1993
http://andelman.com / Bob Andelman
http://nreionline.com / National Real Estate Investor / August 1998
Interstate275florida.com
www.bizjounals.com
www.glimcher.com
"Remembering Maas Brothers"/ Micheal Lisicky
"West Shore Plaza Expansion Study" / Robert Jay Colestock & Erin O'Leary Barker / July 1993
http://andelman.com / Bob Andelman
http://nreionline.com / National Real Estate Investor / August 1998
Interstate275florida.com
www.bizjounals.com
www.glimcher.com
Malls Of America Blogspot / Keith Milford webmaster
http://westshoreplaza.com
http://westshoreplaza.com
Tampa's University Square Mall
Youngstown's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation developed a major mall complex in the Cigar City's northern environs. Its name, UNIVERSITY SQUARE, was derived from its close proximity to the University of South Florida campus. The original logo featured "Hootie" the owl.
Graphic from the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
Graphic from the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL TENANTS 1974:
MAAS BROTHERS (with Beauty Salon and Suncoast Restaurant, ) / J.C. PENNEY (with Coffee Shop, Beauty Salon and freestanding Auto Center) / B. Dalton Bookseller / Baker's Shoes / Bailie's Campus Shop / Baron's men's wear / Bentley Luggage / Bentley's Red Cross Shoes / Bernard's Wigs / Body Shop ladies' wear / Bresler's 33 Flavors ice cream / Butler's Shoes / Camelot Music / Cards 'N Such / Carnaby Shop men's wear / Carousel Snack Bar / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Chick-Fil-A / Chess King men's wear / Davey Jones Locker / Diana Shops ladies' wear / Docktor Pet Center / Evenson's Cards / Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour / First Federal of Tampa / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Florsheim Shoes / Foxmoor Casuals ladies' wear / Fremacs For Men / GNC / General Cinema Corporation Cinema I & II / General Cinema Corporation Cinema III & IV / Gordon's Jewelers / Hanover Shoes / Hickory Farms of Ohio / His & Hers / Hot Sam Pretzels /Jacobs Jewelers / Jeans West / Jo-Ann Fabrics / Joyce Bertram Bath & Boudoir / Joyce Selby Shoes / Just Kids Shop / Just Pants / Kay Jewelers / Kinney Shoes / Konee's Restaurant / Lad & Lassie Toys / Lane Bryant ladies' wear / Lawton's Jewelers / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Lowry Organs / Mr. Dunderback's Bavarian Pantry / Merry Go Round ladies' wear / Mitchell's Tuxedo / Motherhood Maternity / National Shirt Shops / National Uniform Shops / Naturalizer Shoes / Oriental Bazaar / Oshman's Sporting Goods / Pearle Vision Center / Pendola's men's wear / Piccadilly Cafeteria / Potpourri ladies' wear / Radio Shack / Regal Shoes / Richman Brothers men's wear / Singer Sewing Center / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Snak Shak / Spencer Gifts / Stride Rite Bootery / Stuarts Ladies Ready-To-Wear / SupeRx Drugs / Surrey's men's wear / Thayer McNeil Shoes / The Colony Shop ladies' wear / The County Seat men's wear / The Ranch ladies' wear / The Tinder Box Tobacconist / The Wild Pair shoes / Thom McAn Shoes / Tiffany's Bakery / Tweed Shop ladies' wear / Waldenbooks / Wicks 'N Sticks / Wolf Brothers men's wear / York Steak House / Young Sophistocates ladies' wear / Zales Jewelers
The complex was given an overhaul and expansion in the mid-1990s. A new Dillard's has been added, with the old store (formerly a Robinson's of Florida) recycled as new tenant spaces. A 16-plex cinema has also been built along with a large parking garage. Renamed UNIVERSITY MALL, the facility now encompasses approximately 1,332,200 leasable square feet.
Above and below are interior views of UNIVERSITY MALL.
Photo from www.glimcher.com / Glimcher Realty Trust
These images show decor installed during the mid-'90s mall makeover.
Photo from www.glimcher.com / Glimcher Realty Trust
In 2010, UNIVERSITY MALL is anchored by the original Sears, along with Macy's, Burlington Coat Factory and a demoted Dillard's (now a Clearance Center). The west anchor, housing Penney's between 1974 and 2005, hosted a Steve & Barry's until that chain went out of business in early 2009.
An abandoned J.C. Penney has been rebuilt as Rithm (Research, Innovation, Technology, Habitat, Medicine) At Uptown. The building houses nine tenant spaces, which will be leased to retail, technological and medical tenants.
Drawing from RD Development
A circa-2024 layout shows that abandoned Sears and Maas / Macy's stores have been knocked down. A new South Wing (light gray) houses Sprouts Farmers Market and a relocated Burlington. The long-term plan is for UNIVERSITY MALL to be converted from a standard shopping complex into UPTOWN, a "mixed-use urban development."
Drawing from RD Development
UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL
East Fowler Avenue and Club Drive
Hillsborough County, Florida
Ohio's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation opened three shopping hubs in Florida during 1974; ALTAMONTE MALL {Altamonte Springs}, UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL {Hillsborough County} and VOLUSIA MALL {Daytona Beach}.
The Hillsborough County mall's story begins on June 27, 1972, when Edward J. DeBartolo divulged plans to develop an -as of yet- unnamed shopping complex in Tampa's northern environs. It would feature three anchors; Maas Brothers, Robinson's of Florida and J.C. Penney. By November, construction was underway on the UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL project, with Sears having been added as a potential fourth anchor.
The fully-enclosed, single-level retail venue was being developed on an 80-acre plot, located 7.5 miles north of center city Tampa. Thirty-two stores and services commenced operation on August 15, 1974. Included in this group of dedications was a 2-level (127,000 square foot), Tampa-based Maas Brothers. A second anchor, a 2-level (128,600 square foot) J.C. Penney, welcomed its first patrons on October 30, 1974. A 2-level (158,700 square foot), St. Petersburg-based Robinson's of Florida made its debut on August 4, 1975.
Charter UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL inline stores included Lawton's Jewelers, Jacobs Jewelers, Davey Jones Locker, Merry-Go-Round, Baron's men's wear, SupeRx Drugs and Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry. The General Cinema Corporation University Square I & II showed its first features on October 18, 1974. GCC dedicated the University Square III & IV on November 15th.
A 2-level (144,900 square foot) Sears was dedicated on September 8, 1975. The shopping hub now enveloped approximately 1,008,700 leasable square feet and contained 109 stores and services beneath its roof.
The first expansion added a 1-level (100,800 square foot), Miami-based Burdines, which was inaugurated on July 24, 1983. The gross leasable area of UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL now stood at around 1,009,500 square feet, with a tenant list of 130 stores and services. With this enlargement, UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL trumped TYRONE SQUARE {in St. Petersburg} and become the largest mall in the Tampa Bay Area.
Retail rivals were aplenty. At first, there were only WEST SHORE PLAZA (1967) {9 miles southwest, in Tampa} and FLORILAND MALL (1972) {1.6 miles southwest, also in Tampa}. These were joined by COUNTRYSIDE MALL (1975) {18 miles southwest, in Pinellas County}, TAMPA BAY CENTER (1976-2005) {6.1 miles southwest, in Tampa} and EAST LAKE SQUARE (1976-1998) {4.8 miles southeast, in Hillsborough County}.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced at UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL following the August 1987 acquisition of several Robinson's of Florida stores by Baton Rouge-based Goudchaux's-Maison Blanche. West Florida locations operated as Robinson's-Maison Blanche until their conversion to the Maison Blanche nameplate on March 28, 1988.
Maison Blanche stores were rebranded by Dillard's in August 1991. By this time, the official name of the shopping hub had morphed to simply UNIVERSITY SQUARE. On September 28, 1991, Burdines was shuttered, re-opening -in the old Maas Brothers location- in the following month. The old Burdines spot was taken by Montgomery Ward, which opened its doors on August 7, 1992.
Chicago's Heitman Retail Properties acquired UNIVERSITY SQUARE in March 1992. 2 years later, they started a 48 million dollar renovation. A 2-level (188,300 square foot) Dillard's was built on the north side of the original store. This new location was dedicated on November 1, 1995. The original store, now vacant, was gutted and rebuilt as new retail spaces, with a Food Court installed on the upper level.
This connected with the Cobb Theatres University 16 megaplex, which was dedicated on December 3, 1996. Built as part of the second level of a new parking garage, this cinema replaced the mall's two twinplex venues, which were shuttered in September and December 1996. The shopping center now encompassed approximately 1,332,200 leasable square feet.
Montgomery Ward closed for good in March 2001, with its store space re-opening, as a Burlington Coat Factory, on October 12th. This was followed by the conversion of Burdines to Burdines-Macy's, on January 30, 2004. The store was fully "Macy-ated" on March 6, 2005.
In the meantime, several new shopping venues had opened. These included BRANDON TOWN CENTER (1995) {10.4 miles southeast, in Hillsborough County}, CITRUS PARK TOWN CENTER (1999) {8.2 miles west, in Hillsborough County} and SHOPS AT WIREGRASS (2005) {10 miles northeast, in Pasco County}.
SHOPS AT WIREGRASS snatched J.C. Penney from UNIVERSITY MALL. The store closed October 1, 2005 and re-opened, as a 1-level (70,000 square foot) Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, in December.
The Columbus, Ohio-based Glimcher Realty Trust had acquired UNIVERSITY SQUARE in December 1997. They sold the property to a joint venture of Santa Barbara-based Somera Capital Management and Rockwood Capital in June 2007. Chicago-based General Growth Properties was enlisted to manage the property.
A 10 million dollar remodeling got underway in March 2008, which included rebuilt entrances, family restrooms, community seating, soft play areas, skylights and an updated Food Court. These improvements were completed in November 2008. Dillard's had been demoted to a Clearance Center during 2008. Steve & Barry's closed for good on January 1, 2009.
The multiplex theater, which had operated as the Regal University 16 since 1997, was shuttered in September 2010. Jupiter, Florida's Frank Theatres re-opened the complex, as the University 12, in November 2011. After plans for a major renovation fell through, the cinema closed in January 2013. Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill revamped the structure and re-opened it, as the SMG Tampa, on October 23, 2014. The venue was shuttered in March 2021. Look Dine-In Cinemas, another Dallas-based concern, reopened the movie house in September 2021.
Meanwhile, a new mall owner had come on board in December 2014. New York City's RD Management acquired UNIVERSITY MALL and announced a multi-million dollar renovation in June 2015. In their plan, the virtually vacant West Wing was to be demolished and replaced with University Way, an open-air lifestyle component.
In fact, the redevelopment plan proposed that the roof over the entire mallway be removed. It also advocated that the long-vacant Penney's building be repurposed. A mixed-use facility was to be created, with retail, entertainment, academic, technological, scientific, residential and office components.
The UNIVERSITY MALL Macy's was shuttered in March 2017. Dillard's Clearance Center relocated to the first floor of the vacant Macy's and re-opened on May 2, 2017. Grand's, a San Juan, Puerto Rico-based department store, leased the first floor of the vacant Dillard's Clearance Center. The (90,000 square foot) Grand's was dedicated in September 2017.
In March 2018, RD Management announced that the official name of the mall would eventually be changed to UPTOWN. At this time, they also acquired the Sears building. With this transaction, RD Management owned the entirety of the mall.
East Fowler Avenue and Club Drive
Hillsborough County, Florida
Ohio's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation opened three shopping hubs in Florida during 1974; ALTAMONTE MALL {Altamonte Springs}, UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL {Hillsborough County} and VOLUSIA MALL {Daytona Beach}.
The Hillsborough County mall's story begins on June 27, 1972, when Edward J. DeBartolo divulged plans to develop an -as of yet- unnamed shopping complex in Tampa's northern environs. It would feature three anchors; Maas Brothers, Robinson's of Florida and J.C. Penney. By November, construction was underway on the UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL project, with Sears having been added as a potential fourth anchor.
The fully-enclosed, single-level retail venue was being developed on an 80-acre plot, located 7.5 miles north of center city Tampa. Thirty-two stores and services commenced operation on August 15, 1974. Included in this group of dedications was a 2-level (127,000 square foot), Tampa-based Maas Brothers. A second anchor, a 2-level (128,600 square foot) J.C. Penney, welcomed its first patrons on October 30, 1974. A 2-level (158,700 square foot), St. Petersburg-based Robinson's of Florida made its debut on August 4, 1975.
Charter UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL inline stores included Lawton's Jewelers, Jacobs Jewelers, Davey Jones Locker, Merry-Go-Round, Baron's men's wear, SupeRx Drugs and Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry. The General Cinema Corporation University Square I & II showed its first features on October 18, 1974. GCC dedicated the University Square III & IV on November 15th.
A 2-level (144,900 square foot) Sears was dedicated on September 8, 1975. The shopping hub now enveloped approximately 1,008,700 leasable square feet and contained 109 stores and services beneath its roof.
The first expansion added a 1-level (100,800 square foot), Miami-based Burdines, which was inaugurated on July 24, 1983. The gross leasable area of UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL now stood at around 1,009,500 square feet, with a tenant list of 130 stores and services. With this enlargement, UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL trumped TYRONE SQUARE {in St. Petersburg} and become the largest mall in the Tampa Bay Area.
Retail rivals were aplenty. At first, there were only WEST SHORE PLAZA (1967) {9 miles southwest, in Tampa} and FLORILAND MALL (1972) {1.6 miles southwest, also in Tampa}. These were joined by COUNTRYSIDE MALL (1975) {18 miles southwest, in Pinellas County}, TAMPA BAY CENTER (1976-2005) {6.1 miles southwest, in Tampa} and EAST LAKE SQUARE (1976-1998) {4.8 miles southeast, in Hillsborough County}.
Anchor store rebrandings commenced at UNIVERSITY SQUARE MALL following the August 1987 acquisition of several Robinson's of Florida stores by Baton Rouge-based Goudchaux's-Maison Blanche. West Florida locations operated as Robinson's-Maison Blanche until their conversion to the Maison Blanche nameplate on March 28, 1988.
Maison Blanche stores were rebranded by Dillard's in August 1991. By this time, the official name of the shopping hub had morphed to simply UNIVERSITY SQUARE. On September 28, 1991, Burdines was shuttered, re-opening -in the old Maas Brothers location- in the following month. The old Burdines spot was taken by Montgomery Ward, which opened its doors on August 7, 1992.
Chicago's Heitman Retail Properties acquired UNIVERSITY SQUARE in March 1992. 2 years later, they started a 48 million dollar renovation. A 2-level (188,300 square foot) Dillard's was built on the north side of the original store. This new location was dedicated on November 1, 1995. The original store, now vacant, was gutted and rebuilt as new retail spaces, with a Food Court installed on the upper level.
This connected with the Cobb Theatres University 16 megaplex, which was dedicated on December 3, 1996. Built as part of the second level of a new parking garage, this cinema replaced the mall's two twinplex venues, which were shuttered in September and December 1996. The shopping center now encompassed approximately 1,332,200 leasable square feet.
Montgomery Ward closed for good in March 2001, with its store space re-opening, as a Burlington Coat Factory, on October 12th. This was followed by the conversion of Burdines to Burdines-Macy's, on January 30, 2004. The store was fully "Macy-ated" on March 6, 2005.
In the meantime, several new shopping venues had opened. These included BRANDON TOWN CENTER (1995) {10.4 miles southeast, in Hillsborough County}, CITRUS PARK TOWN CENTER (1999) {8.2 miles west, in Hillsborough County} and SHOPS AT WIREGRASS (2005) {10 miles northeast, in Pasco County}.
SHOPS AT WIREGRASS snatched J.C. Penney from UNIVERSITY MALL. The store closed October 1, 2005 and re-opened, as a 1-level (70,000 square foot) Steve & Barry's University Sportswear, in December.
The Columbus, Ohio-based Glimcher Realty Trust had acquired UNIVERSITY SQUARE in December 1997. They sold the property to a joint venture of Santa Barbara-based Somera Capital Management and Rockwood Capital in June 2007. Chicago-based General Growth Properties was enlisted to manage the property.
A 10 million dollar remodeling got underway in March 2008, which included rebuilt entrances, family restrooms, community seating, soft play areas, skylights and an updated Food Court. These improvements were completed in November 2008. Dillard's had been demoted to a Clearance Center during 2008. Steve & Barry's closed for good on January 1, 2009.
The multiplex theater, which had operated as the Regal University 16 since 1997, was shuttered in September 2010. Jupiter, Florida's Frank Theatres re-opened the complex, as the University 12, in November 2011. After plans for a major renovation fell through, the cinema closed in January 2013. Dallas-based Studio Movie Grill revamped the structure and re-opened it, as the SMG Tampa, on October 23, 2014. The venue was shuttered in March 2021. Look Dine-In Cinemas, another Dallas-based concern, reopened the movie house in September 2021.
Meanwhile, a new mall owner had come on board in December 2014. New York City's RD Management acquired UNIVERSITY MALL and announced a multi-million dollar renovation in June 2015. In their plan, the virtually vacant West Wing was to be demolished and replaced with University Way, an open-air lifestyle component.
In fact, the redevelopment plan proposed that the roof over the entire mallway be removed. It also advocated that the long-vacant Penney's building be repurposed. A mixed-use facility was to be created, with retail, entertainment, academic, technological, scientific, residential and office components.
The UNIVERSITY MALL Macy's was shuttered in March 2017. Dillard's Clearance Center relocated to the first floor of the vacant Macy's and re-opened on May 2, 2017. Grand's, a San Juan, Puerto Rico-based department store, leased the first floor of the vacant Dillard's Clearance Center. The (90,000 square foot) Grand's was dedicated in September 2017.
In March 2018, RD Management announced that the official name of the mall would eventually be changed to UPTOWN. At this time, they also acquired the Sears building. With this transaction, RD Management owned the entirety of the mall.
Sears was shuttered in November 2018, with its demolition commencing in January 2020. The Dillard's Clearance Center went dark on April 28, 2022, with that building being bulldozed in September. The old Maas / Macy's was replaced by a new 110,000 square foot South Wing. This housed tenants such as Vu Studios, a (23,000 square foot) Sprouts Farmers Market and relocated (49,000 square foot) Burlington.
Sources:
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Times
The Tampa Business Journal
"History of University Mall In Tampa" / Joshua McMorrow Hernandez
Hillsborough County, Florida property tax assessor website
www.glimcher.com (Glimcher Realty Trust)
www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.universitymalltampa.com
The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Times
The Tampa Business Journal
"History of University Mall In Tampa" / Joshua McMorrow Hernandez
Hillsborough County, Florida property tax assessor website
www.glimcher.com (Glimcher Realty Trust)
www.ggp.com (General Growth Properties)
www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.universitymalltampa.com
https://www.tampabay.com
Florida's Sarasota Square
A roadside sign entices 1970s shoppers into the shiny new SARASOTA SQUARE. The fully-enclosed mall was developed by a joint venture that included Chattanooga's Arlen Shopping Centers Company and JCP Realty (of New York City).
Photo from www.floridamemory.com / State Library & Archives of Florida
The first stores in SARASOTA SQUARE opened in August 1977, with an official dedication being held in September. At this time, the mall spanned around 547,800 leasable square feet and featured fifty-seven stores. A third anchor (indicated as "Future Development") would join the fold in October 1979.
SARASOTA SQUARE TENANTS 1977:
MAAS BROTHERS (with Beauty Salon and Suncoast Restaurant) / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, Coffee Shop and attached Auto Center) / J. BYRON / Aladdin's Castle video Arcade / Baker's Shoes / Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream / Camelot Music / Carlysle & Company / Casual Corner / Carousel Snack Bar / Chick-Fil-A / Clearwater Federal Savings & Loan / Colony Shop / Davidson Rexall Drugs / Fantasia Music Center / Florida Wig Fashions / Flower World / Ford Shoes / Foxmoor Casuals / GNC / General Telephone Electronics / Girard's Jewelers / Helyn Brown ladies' wear / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Kay Jewelers / Kinney Shoes / Lerner Shops / Lido Tuxedo / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Morrison's Cafeteria / Morrow's Nut House / Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry / National Shirt Shops / Nello's men's wear / Paperback Booksmith / Pearle Vision Center / Petique Pets / Piercing Pagoda / Playland Toys / Pop Tops / Potpourri / Radio Shack / Red Cross Shoes / Regis Hairstylists / Robby's Sporting Goods / Sarasota Square 6 / Smoke 'n Snuff / Susie's Casuals / Susie's Gifts / The Big Apple Unisex Apparel / The Gap / The New Yorker / The Salad Garden / Tiffany's Bakery / Thom McAn Shoes / Travelog Gifts / Wrangler Wranch Casuals / Write Occasions Cards
The mall was thoroughly refurbished in 1985 and '86 and expanded between 1987 and '89. As part of a 22 million dollar renovation, the existing Trellis Garden Food Court was expanded into a new East Wing. A fourth anchor, proposed back in the mid-'70s, opened in November 1989. With its completion, SARASOTA SQUARE encompassed around 975,800 leasable square feet and housed 116 stores and services.
Australia's Westfield acquired SARASOTA SQUARE in late 2003. 2 years later, a 60 million dollar mall makeover was underway. The results of this renovation are seen in this image, and the three that follow.
Photo from http://www.vccusa.com/ / VCC General Contractor Construction
The new Oz-based owner changed the name of the shopping hub to WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN SARASOTA (2003) and then WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE (2005). Here we see the north entry into the East Wing.
Photo from http://www.vccusa.com/ / VCC General Contractor Construction
Stepping inside the doors of the East Wing entrance, one finds themselves in this gallery area.
Photo from http://www.vccusa.com/ / VCC General Contractor Construction
During the renovation done between October 2005 and December 2007, the Food Court at WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE was relocated. Here we see the new 9-bay culinary complex.
Photo from http://www.vccusa.com/ / VCC General Contractor Construction
At the time of a circa-2012 layout, the mall spans around 1,083,000 leasable square feet and contains 144 store spaces. Changes made between 2005 and 2007 are indicated in medium gray. An east anchor store -which opened as a Parisian and was rebranded as a Dillard's- has been demolished and replaced by a new Costco.
The US and European portfolio of Westfield malls was acquired by Paris' Unibail-Rodamco in June 2018. In July 2019, the name of the Sarasota property was changed back to SARASOTA SQUARE. Over the past few years, the complex has lost a number of key tenants. Macy's and Sears both pulled up stakes in 2017.
Graphic from https://www.sarasotasquaremall.com
SARASOTA SQUARE
South Tamiami Trail / US 41 and Club Drive
Sarasota County, Florida
The malling of Sarasota commenced with the opening of SOUTHGATE SHOPPING PLAZA, in January 1957. A typical, L-shaped strip center, it was anchored by W.T. Grant, with Publix and Kwik Chek supermarkets at either end. J.C. Penney was added in November 1961. By the late 1970s, Burdines and Robinson's of Florida were operating in the complex, where a small enclosed section had been added in 1973. Eventually, the entire PLAZA was enclosed and climate-controlled.
GULF GATE MALL, the area's first mall-type center, opened between August 1965 and January 1968. It featured a Holiday junior department store, Publix supermarket and Belk-Lindsey department store.
A project known as SARASOTA MALL was proposed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in February 1974 but was never built. Next in line came a concept devised by a joint venture of the Chattanooga-based Provident Life & Accident Insurance Company, Arlen Shopping Centers Company and JCP Realty (a subsidiary of the J.C. Penney Company).
Arlen had developed New Hampshire's NEWINGTON MALL (1974) and South Carolina's WESTGATE MALL (1975). Construction on SARASOTA SQUARE, its ninth Sunshine State center, got underway in February 1976. The mall, designed by Chattanooga's Humphreys & Associates firm, was built on 92.3 acres, located 7.2 miles southeast of center city Sarasota.
The first phase of SARASOTA SQUARE included two anchor stores; a 2-level (142,300 square foot), Tampa-based Maas Brothers and 2-level (130,800 square foot) J.C. Penney. Maas Brothers' store, and forty-two other tenants, began business at a preview opening held on August 4, 1977. The American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 6 was dedicated at this time, as was a 1-level (28,500 square foot), Miami-based J. Byron.
J.C. Penney commenced operation, as part of the official SARASOTA SQUARE grand opening, on September 28, 1977. Inline stores included Morrison's Cafeteria, Davidson Rexall Drugs, Foxmoor Casuals, Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry, Lerner Shops and Allied Radio Shack. A second construction phase, comprised of thirty-three stores, included the completion of a 2-level (218,000 square foot) Sears, which was dedicated on October 24, 1979. The fully-realized SARASOTA SQUARE encompassed approximately 765,800 leasable square feet.
Competing shopping hubs in the SARASOTA SQUARE trade area included the aforementioned SOUTHGATE SHOPPING PLAZA {4.8 miles northwest, in Sarasota County} and GULF GATE MALL {2.1 miles northwest, also in Sarasota County}.
A second theatrical venue was built, as a freestanding structure, in the mall's northeastern periphery. The American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 6 East showed its first features on December 16, 1983. With its completion, the circa-1977 cinema inside the mall became the Sarasota Square 6 West. Both theaters were also promoted as the Sarasota Square 12.
J. Byron was shuttered in early 1985. Its vacancy provided the mall with the impetus to do a major face lift, which was completed in March 1986. The 7 million dollar project included the creation of the 14-bay Trellis Garden Food Court (built in the old J. Byron space) and an '80s-style update of the mall's courts and concourses.
In October 1986, a 15 million dollar enlargement of the mall was announced. Forty new stores were to be added in an East Wing. The existing Food Court would also be doubled in size. A 2-level (110,000 square foot), Birmingham-based Parisian, the chain's first Central Florida store, would anchor the addition. The expansion was dedicated with a gala grand opening held on November 1, 1989. The mall now encompassed 975,800 leasable square feet and contained 116 stores and services.
Maas Brothers morphed into a Miami-based Burdines on October 20, 1991. The Parisian chain did a retail retreat from the Central Florida market in the mid-1990s, with the SARASOTA SQUARE store closing in January 1996. Dillard's bought the building, which was opened, under the Dillard's nameplate, on March 2, 1996.
The Burdines name was gradually phased out. This process was initiated with the rebranding of all stores as Burdines-Macy's, on January 30, 2004. Stores became bona fide Macy's on March 6, 2005.
Meanwhile, Australia's Westfield had acquired SARASOTA SQUARE in October 2003. The shopping hub was soon renamed as WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN SARASOTA. In June 2005, the mall officially became WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE.
On October 15, 2005, the first shovel of earth was turned for a third renovation and expansion. The 60 million dollar remodeling was in line with makeovers of properties such as WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY {Los Angeles}, WESTFIELD GARDEN STATE PLAZA {Paramus, New Jersey} and WESTFIELD SOUTHCENTER {Tukwila, Washington}.
WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE was given a thorough, interior-exterior refurbishment. A new Food Court was constructed south of the circa-1989 East Wing. Moreover, two mall entrances were rebuilt, with exterior-entranced stores added. Moreover, the mall's two 6-screen cinemas were replaced. The newly-built American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 12 was installed south of the new Food Court and showed its first features on December 20, 2006.
The final phase of the mall's reconstruction involved the (now abandoned) 1980s-vintage food court. It was gutted, with its area rebuilt as inline stores fronting on a new Promenade Court. During the remodeling, new stores had come to the mall such as Delia's, Traffic Shoes, Build-A-Bear Workshop and The Buckle. All renovations were complete by December 2007.
Dillard's shuttered its store on December 5, 2009. The structure was demolished and replaced by a 1-level (145,000 square foot), Washington State-based Costco. This store held its grand opening August 17, 2012.
With Costco's completion, WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE encompassed 1,082,800 leasable square feet and contained 144 stores and services. This number was reduced by one with the shuttering of Macy's, on March 26, 2017. A second major vacancy was created by Sears, who shuttered their 38-year-old store on September 17, 2017.
Westfield's American and European property portfolio was merged into the holdings of Paris-based Unibail-Rodamco in June 2018. A new company, known as Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was created. Westfield shopping centers in Australia and New Zealand were not included in the merger.
South Tamiami Trail / US 41 and Club Drive
Sarasota County, Florida
The malling of Sarasota commenced with the opening of SOUTHGATE SHOPPING PLAZA, in January 1957. A typical, L-shaped strip center, it was anchored by W.T. Grant, with Publix and Kwik Chek supermarkets at either end. J.C. Penney was added in November 1961. By the late 1970s, Burdines and Robinson's of Florida were operating in the complex, where a small enclosed section had been added in 1973. Eventually, the entire PLAZA was enclosed and climate-controlled.
GULF GATE MALL, the area's first mall-type center, opened between August 1965 and January 1968. It featured a Holiday junior department store, Publix supermarket and Belk-Lindsey department store.
A project known as SARASOTA MALL was proposed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in February 1974 but was never built. Next in line came a concept devised by a joint venture of the Chattanooga-based Provident Life & Accident Insurance Company, Arlen Shopping Centers Company and JCP Realty (a subsidiary of the J.C. Penney Company).
Arlen had developed New Hampshire's NEWINGTON MALL (1974) and South Carolina's WESTGATE MALL (1975). Construction on SARASOTA SQUARE, its ninth Sunshine State center, got underway in February 1976. The mall, designed by Chattanooga's Humphreys & Associates firm, was built on 92.3 acres, located 7.2 miles southeast of center city Sarasota.
The first phase of SARASOTA SQUARE included two anchor stores; a 2-level (142,300 square foot), Tampa-based Maas Brothers and 2-level (130,800 square foot) J.C. Penney. Maas Brothers' store, and forty-two other tenants, began business at a preview opening held on August 4, 1977. The American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 6 was dedicated at this time, as was a 1-level (28,500 square foot), Miami-based J. Byron.
J.C. Penney commenced operation, as part of the official SARASOTA SQUARE grand opening, on September 28, 1977. Inline stores included Morrison's Cafeteria, Davidson Rexall Drugs, Foxmoor Casuals, Mr. Dunderbak's Bavarian Pantry, Lerner Shops and Allied Radio Shack. A second construction phase, comprised of thirty-three stores, included the completion of a 2-level (218,000 square foot) Sears, which was dedicated on October 24, 1979. The fully-realized SARASOTA SQUARE encompassed approximately 765,800 leasable square feet.
Competing shopping hubs in the SARASOTA SQUARE trade area included the aforementioned SOUTHGATE SHOPPING PLAZA {4.8 miles northwest, in Sarasota County} and GULF GATE MALL {2.1 miles northwest, also in Sarasota County}.
A second theatrical venue was built, as a freestanding structure, in the mall's northeastern periphery. The American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 6 East showed its first features on December 16, 1983. With its completion, the circa-1977 cinema inside the mall became the Sarasota Square 6 West. Both theaters were also promoted as the Sarasota Square 12.
J. Byron was shuttered in early 1985. Its vacancy provided the mall with the impetus to do a major face lift, which was completed in March 1986. The 7 million dollar project included the creation of the 14-bay Trellis Garden Food Court (built in the old J. Byron space) and an '80s-style update of the mall's courts and concourses.
In October 1986, a 15 million dollar enlargement of the mall was announced. Forty new stores were to be added in an East Wing. The existing Food Court would also be doubled in size. A 2-level (110,000 square foot), Birmingham-based Parisian, the chain's first Central Florida store, would anchor the addition. The expansion was dedicated with a gala grand opening held on November 1, 1989. The mall now encompassed 975,800 leasable square feet and contained 116 stores and services.
Maas Brothers morphed into a Miami-based Burdines on October 20, 1991. The Parisian chain did a retail retreat from the Central Florida market in the mid-1990s, with the SARASOTA SQUARE store closing in January 1996. Dillard's bought the building, which was opened, under the Dillard's nameplate, on March 2, 1996.
The Burdines name was gradually phased out. This process was initiated with the rebranding of all stores as Burdines-Macy's, on January 30, 2004. Stores became bona fide Macy's on March 6, 2005.
Meanwhile, Australia's Westfield had acquired SARASOTA SQUARE in October 2003. The shopping hub was soon renamed as WESTFIELD SHOPPINGTOWN SARASOTA. In June 2005, the mall officially became WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE.
On October 15, 2005, the first shovel of earth was turned for a third renovation and expansion. The 60 million dollar remodeling was in line with makeovers of properties such as WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY {Los Angeles}, WESTFIELD GARDEN STATE PLAZA {Paramus, New Jersey} and WESTFIELD SOUTHCENTER {Tukwila, Washington}.
WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE was given a thorough, interior-exterior refurbishment. A new Food Court was constructed south of the circa-1989 East Wing. Moreover, two mall entrances were rebuilt, with exterior-entranced stores added. Moreover, the mall's two 6-screen cinemas were replaced. The newly-built American Multi-Cinema Sarasota Square 12 was installed south of the new Food Court and showed its first features on December 20, 2006.
The final phase of the mall's reconstruction involved the (now abandoned) 1980s-vintage food court. It was gutted, with its area rebuilt as inline stores fronting on a new Promenade Court. During the remodeling, new stores had come to the mall such as Delia's, Traffic Shoes, Build-A-Bear Workshop and The Buckle. All renovations were complete by December 2007.
Dillard's shuttered its store on December 5, 2009. The structure was demolished and replaced by a 1-level (145,000 square foot), Washington State-based Costco. This store held its grand opening August 17, 2012.
With Costco's completion, WESTFIELD SARASOTA SQUARE encompassed 1,082,800 leasable square feet and contained 144 stores and services. This number was reduced by one with the shuttering of Macy's, on March 26, 2017. A second major vacancy was created by Sears, who shuttered their 38-year-old store on September 17, 2017.
Westfield's American and European property portfolio was merged into the holdings of Paris-based Unibail-Rodamco in June 2018. A new company, known as Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield was created. Westfield shopping centers in Australia and New Zealand were not included in the merger.
In May 2020, SARASOTA SQUARE went into foreclosure. The mall's Macy's was acquired by Chattanooga-based MRH Sarasota, Limited Liability Company in February 2021. The store building was re-sold to a subsidiary of Chicago-based Torburn Partners in May 2021. The Torburn subsidiary bought the remainder of the shopping hub in January 2022. As of mid-2023, there were eight operational SARASOTA SQUARE stores.
Sources:
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The St. Petersburg Times
www.eyecorp.com
Sarasota County, Florida property tax assessor website
www.reuters.com
Sources:
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune
The St. Petersburg Times
www.eyecorp.com
Sarasota County, Florida property tax assessor website
www.reuters.com
https://www.sarasotasquaremall.com (now defunct)
"Sarasota Square" article on Wikipedia
Memphis' Southland Mall
A cotton boll was depicted on the original SOUTHLAND MALL logo.
Graphic from Southland Mall, Incorporated
The Main Entrance of Tennessee's second fully-enclosed shopping center. SOUTHLAND was officially dedicated in August 1966. Nashville's fully-enclosed HARDING MALL had debuted -as the Volunteer State's first enclosed mall- in June.
Photo from Thompson's Community Service
Photo from Thompson's Community Service
Photo from the Bluff City News Company
Photo from the Bluff City News Company
Photo from www.labelscar.com / "Caldor"
SOUTHLAND MALL TENANTS 1966:
GOLDSMITH'S (with Toney's Fruit Stand ) / SEARS (with Coffee House, Optical Department, Garden Shop and freestanding Auto Center) / F.W. WOOLWORTH 5 & 10 (with Snack Bar) / DEL "D" FARM supermarket / Art & Hobby Center / Ashley's ladies' wear / Baker's Shoes / Card Mart / Casual Corner ladies' wear / Catherine's Stout Shop / Central Academy of Music / Contour Chairs / Dinstuhl's Candies / Florsheim Shoes / First National Bank of Memphis (outparcel) / Games Imported / Gay Nineties Barber Shop / Izzy Rosen's men's wear / John Gerber Company apparel / Gridiron Restaurant / Halpern's fabrics / House of Cruthirds home decor / Jacqueline Hats / Kilgore's Pet Shop / Lerner Shops ladies' wear / Levy's apparel / Murdock Acceptance Corporation / National Shirt Shops / Nip & Tuck children's wear / Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio / Pants Parlour / Paul's Shoes / Perel & Lowenstein jewelers / Piccadilly Cafeteria / Radefeld's Bakery / Radio Shack / Remon's Southland Beauty Salon / Richman Brothers men's wear / Rogers Children's Shoes / Singer Sewing Center / Size 5-7-9 Shops ladies' wear / Southland Delicatessen / Southland Optical, Incorporated / Spencer Gifts / Style Shoppe ladies' wear / The Gift Box / Thom McAn Shoes / Vogue Laundry Cleaners / Waldenbooks / Walgreen Drug (with The Grill)
The mall's Piccadilly Cafeteria had 286 seats. It featured ornate decor, which included a Vermeer painting, circa-1780 Nuremberg porcelain stove and 9-foot-high medieval tapestry.
Drawing & graphic from Piccadilly Restaurants
As the ad attests, with the opening of Sears Whitehaven, at SOUTHLAND MALL, there were ten Sears stores in Greater Memphis.
Advert from Sears, Roebuck & Company
Advert from the F.W. Woolworth Company
SOUTHLAND MALL TENANTS 2014:
MACY'S / SEARS (with Optical Department and freestanding Auto Center) / 4Ever Young ladies' wear / A.H. Gifts & Car Tags / Air Kingz / American Deli / Ashley Stewart ladies' wear / Athlete's Foot / Brow Art 23 / City Gear apparel / Citi Trends ladies' wear / Curves ladies' wear / D's Designs / Dial & Design / Dollar Rose ladies' wear / Eve's Shoes / Eye Centric / First National Bank (outparcel) / Icon Men's Wear / Finish Line / Foot Action USA / Foot Locker / GM Diamonds / GNC / GameStop / Glam Shoes / Gold & Gifts / Her-She ladies' wear / Hibbett Sports / Ice Time jewelry / Idol ladies' wear / International House of Pancakes (outparcel) / Kids Foot Locker / Lady Foot Locker / Lady's 1st Accessories / Mad Rags ladies' wear / Marty's Men's Wear / Milano Men's Wear / Mr. Goldman, VI jewelry / Name Game / Nappy By Nature / Perfumes & Shades / Pro Image / Public Safety Office / Rainbow ladies' wear / Romantic Moments / Rose's Nails / Royal Wireless / School Uniform / Shabach Music Store / Shades & More / Shelby County Health Department / Shiekh Shoes / Silver Feet / Silver Time / Simply Fashon ladies' wear / South Wok chinese restaurant / Star Images / Stylish ladies' wear / Sweetness Sweet jewelry / T.J. Gifts II / The Barber Shop / The Fillin' Station restaurant / Touchtel Wireless / Town Express apparel / Uniquely Charmed / US Kids / Wireless 4U / ZOZ Cookie Shop
A contemporary view of the SOUTHLAND MALL Center Court. The mall was given face lift refurbishments in 1981, 1993 and 2004.
Photo from www.urbanretail.com / Urban Retail Properties
The SOUTHLAND Macy's shut down for good in March 2015, leaving a large vacancy on the east end of the complex.
Photo from www.loopnet.com
South Bellevue Boulevard / US 51 and Whitecap Road (Shelby Drive)
Whitehaven (Memphis), Tennessee
The story of Greater Memphis' first mall-type shopping center begins in March 1964, when plans for a "glass-topped shopping center" were first announced. On June 2, 1965, ground was broken at a 48.5-acre parcel, located 12 miles south of downtown Memphis, in suburban Whitehaven.
A 5 million dollar, fully-enclosed mall was being built by a joint venture of Baltimore's Joseph Meyerhoff Corporation and the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. SOUTHLAND MALL was designed by Herbert H. Johnson Associates, of Miami, and the Memphis firms Eason, Anthony, Mckinnie & Cox and Roy P. Harrover. The single-level complex, which covered approximately 478,700 leasable square feet, was officially dedicated on August 15, 1966.
SOUTHLAND MALL was originally anchored by a 1-level (105,000 square foot), Memphis-based Goldsmith's and 2-level (140,000 square foot) Sears. Among fifty-one charter stores and services were Florsheim Shoes, Spencer Gifts, Nip & Tuck, Singer Sewing Center, a (40,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, (11,250 square foot) Walgreen Drug, (22,000 square foot) Levy's and (19,000 square foot) Del "D" Farm supermarket.
SOUTHLAND MALL was originally anchored by a 1-level (105,000 square foot), Memphis-based Goldsmith's and 2-level (140,000 square foot) Sears. Among fifty-one charter stores and services were Florsheim Shoes, Spencer Gifts, Nip & Tuck, Singer Sewing Center, a (40,000 square foot) F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10, (11,250 square foot) Walgreen Drug, (22,000 square foot) Levy's and (19,000 square foot) Del "D" Farm supermarket.
There were two parking area outparcels; a First National Bank of Memphis and Sears Auto Center. The interior of SOUTHLAND MALL featured an 850-foot-long, air-conditioned shopping concourse. The Constructivist Strands of Mirror sculpture, created by artisan Beverly Pepper, graced Center Mall.
Goldsmith's SOUTHLAND store was expanded to 148,000 square feet, with a grand re-opening held on August 12, 1972. A few years later, Sears' partial upper floor was also extended. That store now encompassed 172,000 square feet. The shopping center proper enveloped approximately 553,700 leasable square feet and housed over sixty stores and services.
In 1981, MALL OF MEMPHIS {5.8 miles northeast, in Memphis} and HICKORY RIDGE MALL {6.8 miles northeast, in Memphis} were completed. OAK COURT MALL {6.8 miles northeast, also in Memphis} made its debut in 1988.
As keeping up measures, SOUTHLAND was given face lift refurbishments in 1981 and 1993. During the first project, the Strands of Mirror sculpture was removed. The mall interior and north facade were refurbished, with all mall entrances rebuilt. The 600,000 dollar project got underway in October 1981 and was completed in April 1982.
The community of Whitehaven, including SOUTHLAND MALL, was annexed into Memphis on January 1, 1970. In 1971, South Bellevue Boulevard, which ran along the west side of SOUTHLAND MALL, was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. In the same year, RALEIGH SPRINGS MALL {9.7 miles northeast, in Shelby County (Memphis)} was dedicated.
Goldsmith's SOUTHLAND store was expanded to 148,000 square feet, with a grand re-opening held on August 12, 1972. A few years later, Sears' partial upper floor was also extended. That store now encompassed 172,000 square feet. The shopping center proper enveloped approximately 553,700 leasable square feet and housed over sixty stores and services.
In 1981, MALL OF MEMPHIS {5.8 miles northeast, in Memphis} and HICKORY RIDGE MALL {6.8 miles northeast, in Memphis} were completed. OAK COURT MALL {6.8 miles northeast, also in Memphis} made its debut in 1988.
As keeping up measures, SOUTHLAND was given face lift refurbishments in 1981 and 1993. During the first project, the Strands of Mirror sculpture was removed. The mall interior and north facade were refurbished, with all mall entrances rebuilt. The 600,000 dollar project got underway in October 1981 and was completed in April 1982.
A second remodeling was done between June and November of 1993. The sloping floor of the shopping concourse was leveled and recessed seating areas removed. New lighting, Italian tile flooring, kiosks and a new Center Mall fountain were installed, with mall entrances rebuilt (again).
The SOUTHLAND Woolworth store was shuttered in 1994 and re-opened, as a short-lived J.G. McCrory, in July of the year 2000. WOLFCHASE GALLERIA {11 miles northeast, in Shelby County} had been dedicated in 1997. With five major shopping malls in its trade area, SOUTHLAND somehow persevered. It even eclipsed one of its retail rivals, MALL OF MEMPHIS, which was demolished in 2004.
SOUTHLAND MALL had been sold to a joint venture of Raleigh-based Whichard Real Estate and Charlotte-based B.V. Belk Properties. The transaction closed in January of the year 2004. Goldsmith's at SOUTHLAND MALL was rebranded as a Goldsmith's-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was fully "Macy-ated" March 6, 2005.
SOUTHLAND MALL had been sold to a joint venture of Raleigh-based Whichard Real Estate and Charlotte-based B.V. Belk Properties. The transaction closed in January of the year 2004. Goldsmith's at SOUTHLAND MALL was rebranded as a Goldsmith's-Macy's on August 1, 2003 and was fully "Macy-ated" March 6, 2005.
A third face lift renovation was done between February and July of 2004. This time around, new landscaping was installed, the exterior was painted and Main Entrance reconfigured. In January 2007, SOUTHLAND changed hands again. A New York City-based concern, Southland Mall Shopping Center, Limited Liability Company, assumed ownership and hired Chicago's Urban Retail Properties as a managing agent.
Some bad tidings arrived in January 2015. Cincinnati-based Macy's, Inc. announced that the SOUTHLAND store would be shuttered. The store went dark in March, leaving the shopping hub with just one operational anchor. Sears eventually closed, with that store pulling up stakes in February 2019.
Some bad tidings arrived in January 2015. Cincinnati-based Macy's, Inc. announced that the SOUTHLAND store would be shuttered. The store went dark in March, leaving the shopping hub with just one operational anchor. Sears eventually closed, with that store pulling up stakes in February 2019.
Meanwhile, the mall's owner defaulted on their loan, with the inline store section being auctioned off in March 2016. The new owner was an entity known as 1215 East Shelby Drive Holdings, Limited Liability Company. Boca Raton, Florida's Urban Retail Properties was enlisted as a managing agent. The inline store section of SOUTHLAND MALL was sold to a joint venture of Great Neck, New York's Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management in December 2018.
Sources:
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee)
Sources:
The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee)
The Memphis Press-Scimitar (Memphis, Tennessee)
https://memphismagazine.com / VanceLauderdale
http://www.southlandmallmemphis.com
https://namdarrealtygroup.com / Namdar Realty
"Elvis Presley" article on Wikipedia
"Mall Of Memphis" article on Wikipedia
"Mall Of Memphis" article on Wikipedia
Buffalo's Boulevard Mall
The original BOULEVARD MALL trademark, circa-1962. Umbrella-motif logos such as this were used to promote many of America's early enclosed shopping centers.
Graphic from Forest City Enterprises
BOULEVARD MALL vies with Long Island's WALT WHITMAN CENTER for the distinction of first enclosed mall in New York State. The first operational store at WALT WHITMAN CENTER opened in March 1962, with a mall-wide dedication held on November 23, 1962. An initial grand opening was held at BOULEVARD MALL on November 6, 1962.
Photo from http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com
A vintage view of the 200-foot-long shopping concourse. The "Sattler's 998" mallway entrance is seen on the right. The store's numeric designation was a homage to the address of the downtown Buffalo Sattler's, at 998 Broadway.
Photo from http://www.flickriver.com / "Flickriver PhotoStream" / William Bird
BOULEVARD was the first of ten major malls built in the Niagara Frontier between 1962 and 1989. In 1963, the newly-completed mall encompassed approximately 491,400 leasable square feet and housed thirty-six stores. Its parking area accommodated 5,000 autos.
BOULEVARD MALL TENANTS 1963:
SATTLER'S 998 (with restaurant, beauty salon, Food Market and parcel pick-up service) / JENSS BOULEVARD (with beauty salon) / S.S. KRESGE 5 & 10 (with luncheonette) / ACME MARKETS / KLEINHANS men's & boy's wear / Al Brownrout Fisheteria / A.S. Beck Shoes / Bond Clothes / Boulevard Barber Shop / Burczynski Bakery / Cataract Loan Company / Cavages Records & Cards / David's Specialty Shop ladies' wear / Dixies Sample Hat Shops / Edwards Shoes / Elkin Brothers / Fanny Farmer Candies / Flagg Brothers Shoes / Goldman's Shoes / Gray Drug (with luncheonette) / Gutman's ladies' wear / J & A Maternity / Joseph M. Dramer / Krasner's ladies' wear / Laux Sporting Goods / Manufacturers & Traders Trust / Mall Restaurant / Martin's Men's Wear / Miles Shoes / Morrison's ladies' wear / Putnam's Pet Shop / Reed's Jewelers / Singer Sewing Center / The Sample Casual Shops / Thom McAn Shoes / Wagner Optical
The first BOULEVARD MALL expansion got underway in 1969 and was completed in February 1971. A J.C. Penney anchor store and freestanding Auto Center were added to the northeast corner of the complex.
Photo from https://www.flickr.com / Jack Thomas
A circa-1980 plan shows three additions. A twin cinema (in dark gray) opened in 1966 and has been remade into a tri-plex. As mentioned, Penney's built a third anchor store. A southward expansion (in light gray) was dedicated in March 1979. With its completion, the shopping facility spans around 786,700 leasable square feet, with eighty-three stores and services.
The image above -and two that follow- present a visual history of the
mall's original anchor department store. Buff-based Sattler's opened at
the mall in November 1962. The chain folded in 1982, with the
BOULEVARD MALL store remaining in business until it closed for good, in January 1983.
Graphics from United Department Stores
BOULEVARD MALL was expanded again between 1992 and 1994. The Picnic Place Food Court (in light gray) was added to the southeast corner. A freestanding Bob's Store (in dark gray) was also built in the mall's southern periphery. The complex was given an indoor-outdoor face lift in 1996-'97. When construction dust settled, it covered approximately 966,700 leasable square feet.
The turn of the century brought a third rebranding of the mall's original anchor store. Built as a Buffalo-based "Sattler's 998," it morphed into a Rochester-based Sibley's in October 1983 and Pittsburgh-based Kaufmann's in April 1990. In February 2006, a Macy's nameplate was installed.
Photo from https://www.flickr.com / Jack Thomas
A 2010s view of Center Court...which is quite a contrast to the vintage interior photo above!
Photo from https://douglasdevelopment.com / Douglas Development
Bonefish Grill was one of three sit-down restaurants added to the shopping center during a 2006 face lift. It is the only one of the three still in business.
Photo from https://douglasdevelopment.com / Douglas Development
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