The Malling of Jacksonville
The statement above is a combination of two quotes from the 1960's describing the opening of Normandy and Grande Boulevard Malls. The enclosed shopping mall has been a fixture in the Jacksonville landscape since the early 1960s. Today, Metro Jacksonville takes a look at the rise and fall of suburban regional shopping centers of Greater Jacksonville.
Definition of "Shopping mall" according to answers.com
1. An urban shopping area limited to pedestrians.
2. A shopping center with stores and businesses facing a system of enclosed walkways for pedestrians.
Under this definition, open-air strip shopping and lifestyle centers like St. Johns Town Center would not be considered as an enclosed shopping mall.
1960 - Philips Mall
Philips Mall opened in 1960 on the corner of Philips Highway and Emerson Street. Initial anchors for the 42 acre mall included Montgomery Ward, Food Fair Stores and a movie cinema. Soon, the vibrant suburban area around the mall and new interstate became known as "The Miracle Mile." During the 1980s, the center was renovated, converted into an outlet mall and renamed Market Square Mall.
After this concept failed, Southpark Corporate Center LLC. converted the property into an open-air office complex called Metro Square. Today, the 471,000 square foot complex lives on with companies like Wachovia, Baptist Health and ACT Advanced Career Training operating in spaces where Jacksonvillians once shopped.
1963 - Normandy Mall
Developed by Edward J. Debartolo, Westside's Normandy Mall was the second indoor shopping mall in Jacksonville. It was said to "employ the newest concepts in suburban shopping facilities."
The 416,000 square foot mall originally featured a Montgomery Ward and Woolco as the anchors, as well as a 1,000 seat movie theater and 60 specialty shops. The 37 acre site served as the home of the Normandy Drive-In Theater before making way for the mall.
Normandy Mall's downfall would begin during the mid 1980's when Jefferson Ward (Montgomery) closed the mall location. Sam's Club operated a store at Normandy for a few years, but the struggling center eventually closed for good in 1994.
The Potter's House Christian Fellowship bought the abandoned mall for $4 million in 2002. The church then converted the old Sam's Wholesale Club building into a 4,000-seat sanctuary, a 600-seat children's church, nursery, classrooms and offices.
Potter's House reopened a portion of the old mall in 2007. The new Kingdom Plaza at Normandy Mall is anchored by a popular Soul Food restaurant and a bowling alley.
1967 - Gateway Shopping Center
Gateway Shopping Center opened on Norwood Avenue, as an open air strip shopping center in 1959. In 1967, the center expanded to include a 32-store, 300,000 square foot indoor mall, anchored by JCPenney and Montgomery Wards.
Gateway's days as a regional shopping mall would peak somewhere between 1976 and 1978. The mall's anchors at this time included JCPenney, May Cohens, Service Merchandise and Jefferson Ward. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Gateway would struggle with a rash of major closings because of changing market demographics.
In 1985, Jefferson Ward shut down and was replaced by Zayre (later Ames) a year later. 1988, Maison Blanche (formerly May Cohens shut down and Ames shuttered their store two years later. The most devastating blow would come in 1992, with the closing of Service Merchandise and the relocation of Gateway's JCPenney to a strip center at the intersection of Dunn Avenue and Lem Turner Road.
In 1997, the largely vacant mall was purchased by Gateway Center Economic Development Partnership, with the goal to change the focus from a regional orientation to a neighborhood center. Today, Gateway survives with a Publix as the feature anchor, along with several neighborhood focused specialty shops and services.
For more information: www.gatewaytownctr.com
1967 - Regency Square Mall
After the opening of the Matthews Bridge, Arlington would become Jacksonville's most rapidly growing suburb in the following decade. With JCPenney, May-Cohen, Ivey's and Furchgott's and 60 specialty stores, Regency would open to serve the rapidly increasing population. During the 1970's, the mall would become the central focus of a $100 million development. Components of this major project included the Regency Executive Office Park, a major mall expansion east of May Cohens and the Regency Lakes Apartments.
In 1985, Regency Mall killed the merger of Stein Mart and Furchgott's. The merger died because mall officials felt Stein Mart was too low class for the shopping mall. Regency's best days appear to have occurred during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Today, Regency Square is Jacksonville's oldest regional mall that still maintains its original use. However, the popularity of newer malls has thrust Regency into a serious battle for survival and in need of a major makeover to maintain its market share.
1968 - Roosevelt Mall
Roosevelt Mall opened in 1961 as an open air shopping center. The shopping center was converted into an enclosed mall in 1968. Anchors during this era included Ivey's, Furchgott's, Levy-Wolf, Purcell's and F.W. Woolworth.
Atlanta based Dewberry Capital Corporation purchased the 260,000 square foot mall in 1997. Since then Roosevelt has been converted back into its original use, an open air strip shopping center. Today, Roosevelt Square's anchors include Stein Mart, Belk and Publix.
1983 - Grande Boulevard Mall
"Its going to be something very unique, architecturally. Its not going to be the size of a major mall. It will be 25 to 40 percent of an Orange Park Mall."
Kennon G. Holmes, Senior Vice President for Project Development - Haskell Company.
It can be argued that Grande Boulevard Mall was the most infamous failure of a developer predicting shopping demands. Envisioned to serve the upscale market, Grande Boulevard opened at the corner of Southside Blvd. and Old Baymeadows Road. The 289,000 square foot, two story mall opened with Jacobson's as its anchor along with space for 68 upscale specialty shops. Grande Boulevard struggled from the start and was immediately labeled as "too ritzy for Jacksonville". By 1986, the number of open stores had dwindled down to 24.
The 1990 opening of the Avenues Mall would be the final nail in the coffin for Grande Boulevard. Excluding Jacobson's, which would last until the entire chain was shuttered in 2002, FCCJ took over and converted the complex into a community college campus in 1994.
1987 - The Jacksonville Landing
Billed as the savior for Downtown Jacksonville, this festival marketplace opened its doors to the Jacksonville shopping scene in 1987. This U-shaped 126,500 square foot urban center opened to much fanfair, drawing seven million visitors during its first year. Major components included a year round street fair called the Bull Market, a food court, an open-air market and gallery shops. Like the rest of the Downtown retail scene, the Landing has struggled to survive as a retail dominated complex. However, new owner Toney Sleiman has found some success in marketing the center as a destination for dining, nightlife and entertainment.
A political squabble in 2006, killed an ambitious proposal to renovate and integrate the complex with the rest of downtown. The city's +20 year old promise to provide parking for the center still remains in doubt. However, urban advocates are hopeful that ownership will at least redevelop a portion of the center to open up to Independent Drive and Hogan Street.
1990 - The Avenues
The Avenues opened in 1990 with Sears, JCPenney, Gayfers and Dillards as the major anchors. A $10.5 million renovation of The Avenues was completed in April, 2005 and included a newly designed entryway, stained glass windows, a neutral color scheme that includes Italian limestone flooring on its lower level and new lounge chairs, benches and lamps; new restrooms, lighting, ceilings and a children's "soft" play area.
The Avenues is positioned for its market of young, family-oriented customers with mid- to upper level incomes who are involved in their communities.
Offering 1.32 million square feet of retail space, 5 anchors and 165 specialty stores, The Avenues remains Jacksonville's most popular enclosed shopping mall.
Other enclosed shopping centers within the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area.
Orange Park Mall - Orange Park
Located just outside of Duval County, Orange Park Mall opened in 1975 as a 750,000 square foot center featuring Sears, Ivey's and May-Cohens. Unlike many of Jacksonville's shopping centers from this era, Orange Park Mall has done a decent job of evolving to stay competitive. In 1984, while Gateway, Normandy and Philips struggled to survive, Orange Park expanded 910,000 square feet, adding a JCPenney and a food court. To combat newer open air centers like Oakleaf Town Center, the mall underwent a major facelift in 2005. This project also included bringing in Dick's Sporting Goods as an additional anchor. Today's major tenants include Sears, Belk, Dillards, JCPenney, Dicks and AMC Orange Park 24.
www.orangeparkmall.com
Ponce De Leon Mall - St. Augustine
Belk, JCPenney and Regal Cinema are the anchors for this 187,000 square foot, 23 store mall. In need of renovation and with increasing competition nearby, this center is now at the crossroads that Jacksonville's older malls faced 25 years ago.
www.poncedeleonmall.com
Prime Outlets - St. Augustine
This outlet mall is currently undergoing a 90,000 square foot expansion that includes Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th as a main anchor.
https://www.primeoutlets.com/cntrdefault.asp?cntrid=1079
Article by Ennis Davis