SUNRISE CENTER
Sunrise Boulevard and Northeast 26th Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
The story of Florida's first shopping mall begins with the demise of Hugh Taylor Birch, in 1943. A successful attorney and land speculator, he bequeathed a 140-acre mangrove swamp in the northern environs of Fort Lauderdale to his alma mater, Antioch College.
The southwestern Ohio university began filling in said swamp in 1950; selling some of the property for residential construction and reserving a 48.5-acre section for future development as a retail venue. Proceeds from land sales, totaling some 500 thousand dollars, were invested in the creation of the shopping center. Construction commenced in June 1953.
SUNRISE CENTER, designed by Fort Lauderdale's Gamble, Pownall & Gilroy firm, opened for business on January 27, 1954. The dedication ceremony was attended by Antioch College officials and Malcom Carlisle (Mayor of Fort Lauderdale). Magda Gabor, sister of Zsa Zsa and Eva, arrived via helicopter.
The mall initially housed thirty-seven stores and services. When fully-leased, it contained fifty-eight. Charter tenants included Thom McAn Shoes, Grayson's ladies' wear, Barclay's Limited, House & Garden Furniture, Kasdin Drugs, a (12,000 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue, (10,000 square foot) Food Fair supermarket and F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10.
Adjacent to SUNRISE CENTER, and bordering the Intracoastal Waterway, was the renowned Creighton's Restaurant. Its proprietor, Charles W. Creighton, acquired SUNRISE CENTER in late 1955 and embarked on an expansion of the complex. Plans were announced in February 1957 for a 3-level (170,000 square foot) Jordan Marsh Florida. The store would be the second unit in the Miami-based division of Allied Stores (the first having opened in downtown Miami in February 1956).
Development of Jordan Marsh Sunrise would be accompanied by construction of a (30,000 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue. This store began business on November 1, 1957. An enclosed shopping concourse and system of pedestrian speed ramps and moving sidewalks was also proposed for SUNRISE CENTER, but never implemented.
Jordan Marsh was officially dedicated on October 3, 1960. With the completion of the additions, SUNRISE CENTER had grown into a 272,000 square foot shopping hub. Its expansion continued into the 1960s. The General Cinema Corporation Sunrise Cinema I & II showed first features on December 18, 1963. Built as an eastern outparcel of SUNRISE CENTER, the venue was one of America's earliest "mall" twin cinemas.
Major retail hubs in the SUNRISE CENTER trade area included CORAL RIDGE SHOPPING PLAZA (1962) {2.1 miles northwest, in Fort Lauderdale}, LAUDERHILL MALL (1966) {5.9 miles northwest, in Lauderhill} and LAKES MALL (1973) {6.2 miles northwest, in Lauderdale Lakes}.
The SUNRISE CENTER Jordan Marsh was expanded, with 4th and 5th levels, during 1966. With the completion of construction late in the year, the store encompassed 256,000 square feet. Pompano Beach-based Leonard L. Farber, Incorporated acquired SUNRISE CENTER in June 1977.
Ground was broken in the following year for a four-phase redevelopment of the open-air complex. The first phase involved construction of a 2-level (210,000 square foot), Miami-based Burdines, at the northwest corner of the mall site. The store opened its doors on October 29, 1980. A 2-level (84,000 square foot) Saks Fifth Avenue, at the northeast corner of the site, was dedicated on October 31st.
As new mall section were completed, old structures were demolished. The second phase of the new fully-enclosed mall, known as GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE, was dedicated on November 11, 1980. The complex consisted of two retail levels, built over a 1-and-2-level parking deck. As an adjunct of the massive renovation, the Sunrise Cinema I & II was quaded and renamed Galleria Cinemas 1-2-3-4.
Phase three of the GALLERIA construction project consisted of the addition of a 2-level (80,000 square foot) Neiman-Marcus. This store held its grand opening on September 13, 1982. The fourth, and final, GALLERIA phase concluded with the dedication of a 2-level (80,000 square foot) Lord & Taylor, which transpired on October 2, 1983.
The metamorphosis from SUNRISE CENTER into GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE was now complete. The mall enveloped over one million leasable square, with a retail roster of 126 stores and services. Several works of art were created for the shopping center. These included Bruno Lucchesi's "After Shopping," Roy Butler's "Silent Flight," William Hodd ("Bill") McElcheran's "The Group" and "The Family" and Chaim Gross' "Mrs. & Mr."
The first anchor rebranding transpired after the September 1991 shuttering of Jordan Marsh. It re-opened as a Dillard's on October 27, 1993. In the same year, the complex was purchased by Keystone-Florida Property Holdings, with Philadelphia-based Kravco Company recruited to handle management and leasing.
By the late 1990s, GALLERIA FORT LAUDERDALE was losing ground as an upscale retail center. Commercial competitors, such as TOWN CENTER AT BOCA RATON (1980) {15.3 miles northwest, in Boca Raton} and AVENTURA MALL (1983) {12.4 miles south, in Dade County}, were drawing from the GALLERIA customer base.
A 50 million dollar renovation commenced in November 2002. The '70s Brutalist-style GALLERIA exterior was reconfigured, giving it the look of an 1880s Florida hotel. Interior spaces were remodeled and opened up with windows and vaulted skylights. New, glass-enclosed escalator lobbies connected parking decks with the Ground and Mall Levels above. Moreover, a Palm Court was created and new flooring installed throughout the complex.
The revitalized retail hub was dedicated in 2005. There were now 1,047,500 leasable square feet and 150 stores and services. By this time, the west anchor had gone through a few modifications. It became a Burdines-Macy's on January 30, 2004 and received a Macy's brand on March 6, 2005. Meanwhile, major stores were closing at the mall. Lord & Taylor was shuttered on February 1, 2002. Saks Fifth Avenue went dark on July 20, 2009, ending 55 years of operation at the SUNRISE CENTER-GALLERIA site.
In late 2014, a 750 million dollar, 7-year redevelopment of the shopping hub was announced. If the project is completed, up to seven residential and hotel structures could be built; some connecting directly into the mall. One tower would extend upward for 38 stories. This redevelopment would follow tenets of the New Urbanism movement. Rooftop gardens would be created, with much of the surface parking lot transformed into walkable green space and bike paths. A regional bus transit hub would also be built beneath the mall.
As these plans were debated, the mall's Piazza di Giorgio Food Court was rebuilt as the 7-bay Palm Court Market. This culinary complex was officially dedicated on November 1, 2015. Swedish fashion retailer H & M opened a (28,000 square foot) GALLERIA store on July 7, 2016. News of these store openings was followed by the shuttering of Neiman Marcus. The store, in operation for 38 years, closed for good on September 12, 2020.
Sources:
The Fort Lauderdale News
The Miami News
The Boca Raton News (Boca Raton, Florida)
The Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
http://flmag.com / Fort Lauderdale Magazine
http://www.galleriamall-fl.com (website on Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://www.cinematour.com
http://gallerialoftsfl.com / Galleria Lofts
https://www.galleriamall-fl.com
Retail Traffic/ "Retail Rebirth" / February 1, 2006
