South Ridgewood Avenue / US 1 and Ridge Boulevard
South Daytona, Florida
Plans for the first fully-enclosed shopping center in Greater Daytona Beach were formally announced in June 1969. The 8 million dollar SUNSHINE MALL would be built on a 40-acre tract, situated 3.3 miles south of downtown Daytona Beach.
Consisting of a single level of retail, SUNSHINE MALL was developed by a joint venture of St. Petersburg's Milton Pepper and the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company. The complex was designed by Craig J. Gehlert & Associates and, when completed, encompassed 256,000 leasable square feet.
The mall was built in two stages. Phase One was comprised of a 1-level (115,000 square foot) Woolco discount mart, which opened September 30, 1970. Phase Two, a forty-three store mall, was added south of Woolco. Its first twenty stores were dedicated November 16, 1971.
Grand opening festivities were attended by local dignitaries, such as Dan O'Brien (Mayor of South Daytona), Richard Kane (Mayor of Daytona Beach), Ernest Casson (Mayor of Ormond Beach), Dan Wiggins (Mayor of Holly Hill) and Milton Pepper. Music and entertainment were provided by the Seabreeze Marching 100 and Marine Corps Color Guard. Patty Johnson, "Miss Sunshine Mall," cut the ceremonial ribbon.
Charter stores and services included Singer Sewing Center, Fremacs For Men, Allied Radio Shack, The Clothes Tree and Federal Bake Shop. A freestanding Pantry Pride supermarket made its debut November 18, 1971. The Trans-Lux Inflight Twin Cine (Blue & Gold) Theatre was in business by December 1971. Stores and services open by early 1972 included Jolly Dip Ice Cream, Walgreen Drug and Fifth Avenue Cards.
Phase Three of the SUNSINE MALL project was to add a second anchor department store to the complex. Slated to be either a Mobile-based Gayfer's, Jacksonville-based May-Cohens or Charlotte-based Belk or Ivey's, this store was never built.
SUNSHINE MALL was joined by two retail rivals. DAYTONA MALL {3.5 miles northwest, in Daytona Beach} opened in December 1973. VOLUSIA MALL {4.1 miles northwest, also in Daytona Beach} commenced operation in October 1974. Eventually, SUNSHINE MALL was struggling.
The situation was exacerbated by the January 1983 shuttering of Woolco. The vacant building was used for several pro boxing exhibitions over the summer. In January 1984, a Beacon Linens Cannon Mills Outlet opened in 30,000 square feet. The remainder of the old Woolco was configured as an (85,000 square foot), Massachusetts-based Zayre discount mart. This store welcomed first shoppers on November 11, 1984.
By this time, the complex had been given a minor renovation. It was remarketed as a value-oriented shopping center, with its name having been changed to DAYTONA BEACH OUTLET MALL. Apparently, its Zayre was shuttered as part of the 1988 buyout by Connecticut's Ames Department Stores.
In late 1990, there were thirty outlet-type stores in operation at the shopping hub. These included Bealls Outlet and Sears Outlet. Some of the mall's regular stores and services were Duff's Smorgasbord, Mr. Pettman and the School of Dancing & Performing Arts. The shuttering of Sears Outlet, in the mid-1990s, sent DAYTONA BEACH OUTLET MALL into a downward spiral. Kansas City, Missouri's CS Capital acquired the virtually vacant complex in October 1996.
The 272,000 square foot facility was renamed SUNSHINE PARK (MALL) in April 1997. A 3 million dollar face lift was done and remarketing plan worked out. The revitalized complex would include retail, office, restaurant and entertainment components. A (40,000 square foot) Faneuil Group call center was set up in a portion of the old Woolco space.
Among new mall features was a 55-foot-high, 23-foot-wide tower, which displayed time and temperature. A grand re-opening was held in August 1997. New mall tenants included Express Personnel Services, Cruise Holidays Travel Agency and a Cyber Exchange computer store. A freestanding indoor ice-skating rink was added to the mall site in late 1998.
In 2003, the Woolco was nearly totally demolished. It was replaced by three structures housing Publix, Sunshine Liquors and Pro Support. Port Orange, Florida-based Clark Properties acquired the entire retail and office complex in 2004.
In the 2010s, SUNSHINE PARK MALL housed tenants such as the aforementioned Publix. as well as Bealls Outlet, That One Fun Place, Duff's Buffet and the Daytona International Skateway (ice rink). The mall's proprietor, Clark Properties, morphed into All Aboard Properties in December 2013.
The mall was sold to Alpharetta, Georgia-based Octave Holdings & Investments in September 2021. A new name, the mall's fourth, was announced soon after. The facility would be known -henceforth- as SUNSHINE PLAZA.
Sources:
The Daytona Beach Morning Journal
The Daytona Beach Sunday News Journal
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
Sources:
The Daytona Beach Morning Journal
The Daytona Beach Sunday News Journal
The Daytona Beach News-Journal
The Orlando Sentinel
volusia county, florida property tax assessor website
http://www.sunshineparkmall.com
http://goallaboard.com/properties/sunshine-park-mall
volusia county, florida property tax assessor website
http://www.sunshineparkmall.com
http://goallaboard.com/properties/sunshine-park-mall
https://www.hometownnewsvolusia.com
http://sunshineplaza.net
