Normandy Boulevard and Garth Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida
The first Florida shopping mall developed by Ohio's Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation was Melbourne's BREVARD MALL, which was dedicated in 1963. Then came South Florida's gargantuan PALM BEACH MALL, which welcomed first shoppers in 1967. DeBartolo's third Sunshine State mall was built on 32.7 acres, located 5.5 miles west of center city Jacksonville.
Previous to the mall's construction, the site had been occupied by the Tropical Park (later Loew's) Normandy Outdoor Theater. This twin drive-in was in business between April 1949 and March 1963. The Normandy Outdoor Theatre was demolished and replaced by a 1-level (107,400 square foot) Montgomery Ward. This stand-alone store was dedicated in early 1964. A 1-level (103,000 square foot) Woolco discount mart was built on the site, which opened in 1969.
A fully-enclosed shopping center was added, which connected the existing Montgomery Ward and Woolco. NORMANDY MALL, which spanned approximately 371,300 leasable square feet, held its grand opening in late 1970. Charter tenants included Orange Julius, Hallmark Cards, Schwobilt Clothes and Singer Sewing Center. A 1-level (50,000 square foot), North Carolina-based Roses discount department store served as a junior anchor.
The original shopping hub included the Kent Theatres Normandy Blue & Gold. A freestanding Convenience Center, housing a (26,000 square foot) Food Fair supermarket, was located west of the mall proper. Taking this structure into account, the shopping hub contained a total of sixty-two stores and services.
Major shopping centers in the NORMANDY MALL trade area included PHILLIPS HIGHWAY PLAZA (1960) {6 miles southeast, in Jacksonville}, GATEWAY CENTER (1958) {5.6 miles northeast, in Jacksonville}, ROOSEVELT SQUARE (1961) {2.2 miles southeast, in Jacksonville}, REGENCY SQUARE (1967) {10.6 miles east, in Jacksonville} and ORANGE PARK MALL (1974) {8 miles south, in Orange Park}.
The Roses store was the first NORMANDY MALL anchor to change nameplates. After Roses vacated the space, it was expanded into a (58,000 square foot) Murphy's Mart. This store was in business by 1975. Montgomery Ward morphed into a Jefferson store in January 1980, which was soon branded as a Jefferson Ward. It was converted into a Montgomery Ward Clearance Outlet in 1986 and closed for good in 1988.
Woolco, shuttered in January 1983, became a Sam's Club. This closed in March 1995. By the mid-1990s, NORMANDY MALL was in a downward spiral. Its last ten stores closed in March 1994, with the structure sitting vacant and decaying for several years.
In August 1996, Jacksonville-based Sleiman Enterprises acquired the vacant Montgomery-Jefferson Ward. Its space was renovated into a (63,400 square foot) Winn-Dixie Marketplace. Spaces for eight inline stores were created in the remaining area. The new shopping center, known as NORMANDY VILLAGE, was dedicated on September 4, 1997.
The rest of NORMANDY MALL continued to languish until it was purchased by Jacksonville's Potter's House Christian Fellowship, in November 2003. The congregation invested 10 million dollars into a renovation of the structure. The eastern third of the mall was demolished, leaving 177,000 square feet standing. Interior space was refurbished with new marble tile and indirect lighting. The old Woolco-Sam's Club was reconfigured as the 4,000-seat Potter's House Sanctuary. The exterior of all buildings were thoroughly renovated.
Rechristened KINGDOM PLAZA AT NORMANDY MALL, the non-secular shopping venue held its grand opening on October 17, 2007. In addition to its Temple Builders Fitness Center, the complex featured King Pins Bowling, Soul Food Bistro and Glorious Tees & Totes. In all, there were twenty-five stores and services.
In the meantime, a (36,900 square foot) strip center had been added to the east side of KINGDOM PLAZA. A 1-level (19,900 square foot) A.J. Wright was dedicated June 17, 2006. The store was shuttered in 2011 and re-opened, as a Marshalls, on March 17 of the same year.
Sources:
The First Coast News (Jacksonville, Florida)
The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Florida)
www.kingdomplaza.com
www.metrojacksonville.com
www.coj.net / Jacksonville-Duval County property info
www.sleiman.com
