East Colonial Drive and Bumby Avenue
Orlando, Florida
One of the first regional shopping hubs in Central Florida was built on a 45-acre tract, located 1.7 miles northwest of downtown Orlando. The T.G. Lee Dairy had occupied the site previously. Ground was broken on May 24, 1955 for the COLONIAL PLAZA project.
An open-air, strip-type center was developed by a joint venture headed by Miami and New York City's Michael R. Sudakow. Morris Lapidus, premier Miami architect, designed the complex. It incorporated approximately 236,400 leasable square feet. A formal opening was held on January 31, 1956.
The major stores were a 2-level (31,000 square foot) W.T. Grant, (22,000 square foot) Publix and (13,000 square foot) A & P. An (80,000 square foot) Belk-Lindsey, or Belk's, debuted on March 7, 1956. Original inline stores included Beauteria Beauty Shop, Howard Clothes, Perdue Radio, TV & Appliance and Pix Shoes.
COLONIAL PLAZA was expanded in the early 1960s. At the time, the Sunshine State's first and second enclosed shopping malls were nearing completion. These were CORAL RIDGE SHOPPING PLAZA {in Fort Lauderdale} and an expansion of Orlando's COLONIAL PLAZA. The Fort Lauderdale facility would open for business first.
In Orlando, a fully-enclosed shopping concourse was developed by Plaza Realty Associates. It was added through the center of an existing strip center and extended southward to a 4-level (215,700 square foot) Jordan Marsh of Florida. This operation, the third in the Miami-based division of Allied Stores, was dedicated on October 22, 1962.
The 2.9 million dollar shoppers mall also held its grand opening on October 22nd. Retailers in the new, climate-controlled COLONIAL PLAZA included Edna's ladies' wear, Lane Bryant, Mode O'Day Frock Shop, Rutland's men's wear and Plaza News.
The ABC Florida State Theatres Plaza Theatre, a western outparcel of the shopping hub, showed its first feature on November 23, 1963. The original movie house was a nine hundred-seat, single-screen operation. Eventually made into a multiplex, it was converted into a live performance venue in 1993.
Meanwhile, the second enclosed shopping center in Central Florida, WINTER PARK MALL {3.3 miles northwest, in Winter Park}, had been dedicated in 1964. This was followed by ORLANDO FASHION SQUARE {.3 miles southwest of COLONIAL PLAZA, in Orlando}, which opened in 1973.
As a competitive measure with the up-and-coming FASHION SQUARE, the mall at COLONIAL PLAZA was extended southward. Construction commenced in June 1972, with the revitalized shopping hub holding its grand opening on October 27, 1973.
As part of the South Mall addition, the existing Belk-Lindsey moved into a newly-built, 2-level (153,000 square foot) store. It anchored a new South Mall addition, which featured stores such as Regal Shoes, Colony Shops and Spencer Gifts. The original Belk was divided into smaller store spaces, with the largest being occupied by a Miami-based J. Byron.
A second COLONIAL PLAZA expansion was built in the north parking lot, facing East Colonial Drive. A 2-level (79,400 square foot), Charlotte-based Ivey's -and east-west shopping concourse- joined the existing mall. Barnes Coffee & Tea Company, The Gap and Ups 'N Downs joined the tenant list.
The new section was officially dedicated on August 3, 1983. With this 11 million dollar renovation, the PLAZA mall encompassed approximately 967,000 leasable square feet and contained over 100 stores under its roof.
Shopping centers began to be developed in the outer ring suburbs. THE FLORIDA MALL {7.5 miles southwest, in Orlando} was completed in 1986. Within a few years, COLONIAL PLAZA was in a downward spiral. Meanwhile, Ivey's was rebranded as a Dillard's, on June 4, 1990.
The decline of Orlando's "first and foremost" mall continued unabated. Jordan Marsh closed for good October 1, 1991, with Dillard's shuttering their store in January 1995. Belk-Lindsey, the final operational anchor, went dark March 15, 1995.
As the anchor exodus was playing out, Atlanta-based Cousins Properties purchased the complex. The last remaining inline stores closed, with a power center-type redevelopment getting underway in mid-1995. Four structures were retained and renovated, with the remainder of the mall being bulldozed.
Part of the original (circa-1956) Belk-Lindsey became Shoe Carnival. The former Publix was retenanted by Barnes & Noble. Walgreen Drug moved into a new store in the front parking area, with its former location being occupied by Petco. The circa-1973 Belk-Lindsey was divided into a Marshalls and Rhodes Furniture.
COLONIAL PLAZA MARKETPLACE was dedicated in November 1996. Encompassing 487,700 leasable square feet, it included big box stores such as a (44,000 square foot) Circuit City, (28,000 square foot) Ross Dress For Less and (36,000 square foot) Stein Mart.
The power center soon encountered several competitors. WEST OAKS MALL {9.8 miles west, in Ocoee}, was completed in 1996. OVIEDO MARKETPLACE {10 miles northeast, in Oviedo} was dedicated in 1998. WATERFORD LAKES TOWN CENTER {8.5 miles east, in Orlando} made its debut in 1999. THE MALL AT MILLENIA {6.5 miles southwest, also in Orlando} opened in 2002.
Nonetheless, COLONIAL PLAZA MARKETPLACE persevered. It was sold in April 2001; the buyer being Houston-based Weingarten Realty Investors. They soon rechristened the shopping venue with its original moniker. It would be known, henceforth, as COLONIAL PLAZA.
Two major tenants were lost due, in part, to The Great Recession. Linens 'n Things went dark in December 2008 and re-opened, as a Big Lots, October 1, 2009. Circuit City was shuttered in March 2009, with Hobby Lobby opening September 13, 2010. The Babies "R" Us chain did not go out of business, but its COLONIAL PLAZA location closed in October 2011. A large section of its store space opened, as a (29,600 square foot) Bealls, September 28, 2013.
Sources:
The Orlando Sentinel
www.cinematreasures.org
Comment posts by James & Randy
www.cousinsproperties.com
www.weingarten.com
"Colonial Plaza" article on Wikipedia
