North Highway 231 / US 231 and North Cove Boulevard
Panama City, Florida
The first -and only- enclosed shopping center in Greater Panama City was designed by Detroit's Charles N. Agree and Tucker, Georgia's E.L. Bothell. Developing the mall were Troy, Michigan's Robert B. Aiken and the Kimberly Scott Corporation. PANAMA CITY MALL was built on a 54-acre site, located 1.7 miles northeast of the center city. The parcel had been annexed by Panama City in September 1974.
Ground was broken for the single-level shopping hub in May 1975. Its first operational store, a 1-level (139,000 square foot) Sears, was dedicated on July 28, 1976. A freestanding -16-bay- Sears Auto Center had been open for business since July 12, 1976. A mall-wide grand opening was held on August 11, 1976. The dedication was attended by M.B. Miller (Mayor of Panama City), Suzanne Higdon, "Miss Panama City," and other local dignitaries.
Among forty charter stores and services were Father & Son Shoes, Casual Corner, Camelot Records, World Bazaar, Sir Pants-A-Lot, Craftsmens Cove, Riles Junior Shoe World, Hy's Toggery men's wear, Sound Shop Records, Morrison's Cafeteria, Foxmoor Casuals, and a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio. A 1-level (90,000 square foot), Mobile-based Gayfers opened, as the mall's second anchor, on August 11, 1976. The American Multi-Cinema Panama City Mall 4 Theatres showed its first features August 20th.
Encompassing approximately 450,000 leasable square feet, the 4-wing mall radiated from a carpeted atrium known as The Park In The Mall. There was a fountain, waterfall, Children's Theatre puppet show and play area. The adjacent Sidewalk Cafe featured twelve fast food outlets.
An East Wing, anchored by a 1-level (85,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, was dedicated on November 3, 1982. With its completion, PANAMA CITY MALL enveloped approximately 555,100 leasable square feet and contained around eighty-five retail spaces.
Gayfers is the only mall anchor to have switched nameplates. This store, which had been expanded to 140,000 square feet, was rebranded by Dillard's in October 1998. Gayfers had also been operating a small Home Store in the mall. It was apparently shuttered as part of the Dillard's takeover.
Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties added PANAMA CITY MALL to their retail portfolio in June 2002. Soon after, they embarked on a 10-month refurbishment, which included new interior lighting, ceiling treatments, flooring and a renovated Food Court. New stores also opened inside the mall.
Among forty charter stores and services were Father & Son Shoes, Casual Corner, Camelot Records, World Bazaar, Sir Pants-A-Lot, Craftsmens Cove, Riles Junior Shoe World, Hy's Toggery men's wear, Sound Shop Records, Morrison's Cafeteria, Foxmoor Casuals, and a Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio. A 1-level (90,000 square foot), Mobile-based Gayfers opened, as the mall's second anchor, on August 11, 1976. The American Multi-Cinema Panama City Mall 4 Theatres showed its first features August 20th.
Encompassing approximately 450,000 leasable square feet, the 4-wing mall radiated from a carpeted atrium known as The Park In The Mall. There was a fountain, waterfall, Children's Theatre puppet show and play area. The adjacent Sidewalk Cafe featured twelve fast food outlets.
An East Wing, anchored by a 1-level (85,000 square foot) J.C. Penney, was dedicated on November 3, 1982. With its completion, PANAMA CITY MALL enveloped approximately 555,100 leasable square feet and contained around eighty-five retail spaces.
Gayfers is the only mall anchor to have switched nameplates. This store, which had been expanded to 140,000 square feet, was rebranded by Dillard's in October 1998. Gayfers had also been operating a small Home Store in the mall. It was apparently shuttered as part of the Dillard's takeover.
Chattanooga's CBL & Associates Properties added PANAMA CITY MALL to their retail portfolio in June 2002. Soon after, they embarked on a 10-month refurbishment, which included new interior lighting, ceiling treatments, flooring and a renovated Food Court. New stores also opened inside the mall.
Moreover, an 8-acre section, situated on a northeastern pad, was developed as the SHOPPES AT PANAMA CITY MALL. This open-air strip complex spanned 56,000 leasable square feet and was anchored by a (30,100 square foot) Best Buy. An official grand opening for the renovated and expanded mall, and its associated strip center, was held August 26, 2004. The mall proper now encompassed 605,100 leasable square feet.
For its first 31 years in business, PANAMA CITY MALL was in the enviable position of being the only shopping mall within a large radius. Its nearest counterpart, SANTA ROSA MALL, was located 60 miles west, in the vicinity of Fort Walton Beach. In the summer of 2007, the first phase of the PIER PARK lifestyle center {13.6 miles west, in Panama City Beach} was completed. CBL & Associates Properties sold PANAMA CITY MALL in August 2013, with the buyer being a joint venture of Atlanta's Hendon Properties and an unnamed "offshore investor."
The mall's 4-plex movie theater was acquired -and rebranded- by the Carmike chain in 1995. The venue had started out, in 1976, as an American Multi-Cinema operation. In an interesting turn of events, the theater was rebranded as part of AMC's late 2016 acquisition of Carmike Theatres. In March 2017, the 40-year-old venue was renamed the AMC Classic Panama City Mall 4.
On October 10, 2018, PANAMA CITY MALL took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael. The complex sustained heavy damage from wind and water. After a thorough assessment, it was decided that the cost of repairs would be greater than the value of a resurrected shopping center. It is likely that the mall structure will be demolished, leaving at least two anchor stores standing.
Dillard's, who suffered less damage than other mall tenants, re-opened on October 19, 2018. It came as no surprise when Sears announced the permanent closing their store. J.C. Penney resumed operation on August 30, 2019. The freestanding SHOPPES AT PANAMA CITY MALL strip center, and several outparcel stores and services, also remained in business or resumed operation.
Sources:
The Panama City News-Herald
http://www.baycounty100.com
http://www.floridamemory.com / State Library & Archives of Florida
http://www.panamacity-mall.com
Bay County, Florida property tax assessor website
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
http://hendonproperties.propertycapsule.com / Hendon Properties
For its first 31 years in business, PANAMA CITY MALL was in the enviable position of being the only shopping mall within a large radius. Its nearest counterpart, SANTA ROSA MALL, was located 60 miles west, in the vicinity of Fort Walton Beach. In the summer of 2007, the first phase of the PIER PARK lifestyle center {13.6 miles west, in Panama City Beach} was completed. CBL & Associates Properties sold PANAMA CITY MALL in August 2013, with the buyer being a joint venture of Atlanta's Hendon Properties and an unnamed "offshore investor."
The mall's 4-plex movie theater was acquired -and rebranded- by the Carmike chain in 1995. The venue had started out, in 1976, as an American Multi-Cinema operation. In an interesting turn of events, the theater was rebranded as part of AMC's late 2016 acquisition of Carmike Theatres. In March 2017, the 40-year-old venue was renamed the AMC Classic Panama City Mall 4.
On October 10, 2018, PANAMA CITY MALL took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael. The complex sustained heavy damage from wind and water. After a thorough assessment, it was decided that the cost of repairs would be greater than the value of a resurrected shopping center. It is likely that the mall structure will be demolished, leaving at least two anchor stores standing.
Dillard's, who suffered less damage than other mall tenants, re-opened on October 19, 2018. It came as no surprise when Sears announced the permanent closing their store. J.C. Penney resumed operation on August 30, 2019. The freestanding SHOPPES AT PANAMA CITY MALL strip center, and several outparcel stores and services, also remained in business or resumed operation.
Sources:
The Panama City News-Herald
http://www.baycounty100.com
http://www.floridamemory.com / State Library & Archives of Florida
http://www.panamacity-mall.com
Bay County, Florida property tax assessor website
http://www.cinematreasures.org
http://www.cblproperties.com / CBL & Associates Properties
http://hendonproperties.propertycapsule.com / Hendon Properties
