The Florida Mall

Shopping mall in Orlando, Florida, United States

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The Florida Mall

One of the mall's entrances

Location| Orange County, Florida, United States
Coordinates| 28°26′45″N 81°23′44″W﻿ / ﻿28.44592°N 81.39554°W﻿ / 28.44592; -81.39554
Address| 8001 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809
Opening date| March 12, 1986 (1986-03-12)
Developer| Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. and JCP Realty, Inc.
Management| Simon Property Group
Owner| Simon Property Group (50%)
No. of stores and services| 300
No. of anchor tenants| 14
Total retail floor area| 1,699,571 sq ft (157,900 m2)[1]
No. of floors| 1 (2 in Sears, Macy's, JCPenney, Dillard's, Old Navy, H&M, Zara, Crayola Experience,Nordstrom, Belk,Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Forever 21,And Primark 12 in Florida Hotel)
Parking| Parking lot, valet parking with 9,220 spaces[2]
Public transit access|  7, 37, 42, 107, 108, 111, 418, 441 at the Florida Mall SuperStop
Website| Official website

The Florida Mall is a super regional enclosed shopping mall located south of Orlando in unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States, on the southeast corner of Orange Blossom Trail and Sand Lake Road; it opened in 1986. The mall features JCPenney, Dillard's, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Primark and Sears, in addition to the Crayola Experience, along with junior anchors H&M, Zara, Forever 21, and Old Navy.

The facility was developed by a Joint Venture of Eddie DeBartolo of DeBartolo Realty & JCP Realty, Inc. (Subsidiary of J. C. Penney Company) starting in 1979-1984; it is currently managed by Simon Property Group, which owns 50%, having fallen to Simon following the 1996 merger of Simon and DeBartolo Realty into Simon DeBartolo Group. With 1,699,571 sq ft (157,900 m2) of gross leasable area and 294 retailers,[3] it is one of the largest single-story malls in the United States and the largest mall in Central Florida.

## Location

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Aerial view of The Florida Mall

The Florida Mall is located in an unincorporated area of Orange County, Florida south of the city of Orlando. The mall is close to Orlando International Airport and many other Orlando attractions including Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World, SeaWorld Orlando, and International Drive. The Florida Mall is located at the southeast corner of the intersection between US 17/US 92/US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) and SR 482 (Sand Lake Road) and is situated near the junction of SR 528 (Beachline Expressway) and Florida's Turnpike.[1][2]

## Description

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The Florida Mall has a gross leasable area of 1,718,000 square feet (159,600 m2) and contains over 250 stores, making it the largest mall in Central Florida. The mall is one level and is anchored by Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, Dick's Sporting Goods, and the Crayola Experience. Attached to the mall is The Florida Hotel & Conference Center, which contains 511 rooms. The Florida Mall contains numerous smaller stores and entertainment venues including the only American Girl and Disney Store locations in the Orlando area. The mall offers various dining options including 25 quick-service restaurants and 8 sit-down restaurants. The Florida Mall features a 105,000-square-foot (9,800 m2) Dining Pavilion that contains a total of 25 restaurants. The mall offers various services to shoppers including valet parking, currency exchange, and package and baggage check. The Florida Mall attracts over 20 million visitors annually, including domestic and international tourists to the Orlando area.[1][2]

## History

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Entrance to the mall's food court in 2015

The mall opened on March 12, 1986, with Sears, JCPenney, Belk and the Crowne Plaza hotel (built by E.J. DeBartolo and owned in partnership with Pratt Hotel Corporation of Dallas Texas), followed by Robinson's in September of that year.[4] Many of the mall’s design features were borrowed from other DeBartolo malls like Aventura Mall for many expansions and Coral Square for its layout and space frame ceiling. A year later, store acquisitions and consolidations started varying the anchor lineup. Robinson's converted to Maison Blanche in August 1987, and the Crowne Plaza rebranded as a Sheraton Plaza in 1988. Dillard's opened two stores in 1991 at the east end filling the two remaining anchor pads. Maison Blanche was rebranded by Gayfers in early 1992 as a result of Mercantile Stores. In 1996, Belk became Saks Fifth Avenue, while the Sheraton hotel was sold to Adam's Mark. Then, in 1998, Gayfers transitioned into Parisian, whereas Dillard's added a second floor to their newly consolidated store at the east end, closing the other store on the southeast side that was razed for a new wing featuring Burdines, which opened in 1999. Lord & Taylor replaced Parisian in 2002, and the east wing was expanded again with Central Florida's first and only Nordstrom.[5] Burdines merged with Macy's in 2003, and in 2004, the hotel was purchased by a group headed by the Bank of Scotland and was renamed The Florida Hotel & Conference Center. Burdines-Macy's simply became Macy's in 2005.

Lord & Taylor shuttered in 2006, after being repositioned.[6] Saks Fifth Avenue shuttered in 2014 as part of a strategy implemented to improve profit margins substantially by closing 35% of its entire base over the course of several years. The previous Saks Fifth Avenue outpost was reconstructed for a new wing with a new Dining Pavilion. The old food court was reconfigured to include more retail and dining space. Champs Sports and Footaction (now closed) were added next to the existing Foot Locker store.[7] In August 2014, it was announced Nordstrom would shutter after deciding against renewing their lease again because of the significant investment involved.[5][8] In June 2015, Nordstrom was redesigned for Dick's Sporting Goods and the Crayola Experience.

The Florida Mall looking north from Macy's (from 2018)

The previous Lord & Taylor outpost was razed in 2007 and overhauled into a new outdoor plaza with stores Forever 21, H&M and Zara in 2009, with American Girl being added in the Fall of 2014.

In 2017, Shake Shack opened at the mall.[citation needed]

In early 2019, the mall hosted the Cirque du Soleil touring show Luzia under the big top.[needs update] This limited engagement was the first time Cirque's iconic big top has been raised in the Orlando area.

In 2023, Forever 21 relocated its store from across American Girl to a smaller space next to the Dining Pavilion.

On August 29, 2024 Primark opened where the Forever 21 used to be with a big focus on Disney merchandise.[9]

## Transportation

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Right next to the mall stretches SR 528 (Beachline Expressway) which has an interchange with US 17/US 92/US 441 (Orange Blossom Trail) at exit 4. The exit is only few exits away from the Orlando International Airport. The mall is also accessible from exit 254 of Florida's Turnpike, which connects to Orange Blossom Trail.

The mall is serviced by Lynx buses (links) 7, 37, 42, 107, 108, 111, 418, and 441 at the Florida Mall SuperStop. The Florida Mall SuperStop has direct bus service from several points in the Orlando area including Lynx Central Station in Downtown Orlando, Kissimmee, Orlando International Airport, SeaWorld Orlando, and Universal Orlando Resort.[10][11]

## References

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1. ^ a b c "The Florida Mall Fact Sheet" (PDF). Simon Property Group. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
2. ^ a b c "About The Florida Mall". The Florida Mall. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
3. ^ "The Florida Mall Fact Sheet" (PDF). Simon Property Group. Archived August 4, 2018. Accessed June 12, 2024.
4. ^ "Florida Mall; Orlando, Florida - Labelscar: The Retail History Blog". Labelscar: The Retail History Blog. March 8, 2010. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
5. ^ a b Jacobson, Susan (July 21, 2014). "Nordstrom fell to upscale and outlet competition, analysts say". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
6. ^ Chediak, Mark (September 15, 2006). "Lord & Taylor will close doors on Saturday". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
7. ^ Fluker, Anjali (May 28, 2015). "27 shops, eateries coming to Florida Mall's new Dining Pavilion". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
8. ^ Fluker, Anjali (July 17, 2014). "Could Nordstrom do better at another Orlando site?". Orlando Business Journal. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
9. ^ https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2024/08/29/orlando-primark-disney-florida-theme-parks-clothes/74993229007/
10. ^ "Lynx Schedule Book" (PDF). Lynx. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
11. ^ "Florida Mall SuperStop" (PDF). Lynx. Retrieved August 5, 2018.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Florida Mall.

* The Florida Mall Official Website

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Shopping malls in Greater Orlando

Enclosed shopping malls|

* Altamonte Mall
* The Florida Mall
* Lake Square Mall
* The Mall at Millenia
* Orlando Fashion Square
* Oviedo Mall
* Plaza del Sol
* West Oaks Mall

Open-air lifestyle centers|

* Baldwin Park Village Center
* Celebration Town Center
* Church Street Station
* Colonial Plaza
* Dellagio Town Center
* Disney Springs
* Flamingo Crossings
* The Fountains at Bay Hill
* Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores
* The Loop
* The Marketplace at Dr. Phillips
* Old Town
* Orlando Premium Outlets
* International
* Vineland
* Pointe Orlando
* Plaza Venezia
* Premiere Trade Plaza
* Rialto
* SoDo
* The Square
* Universal CityWalk
* Uptown Altamonte
* Waterford Lakes Town Center
* Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves
* Winter Park Village
* Winter Springs Town Center

Former shopping centers|

* Artegon Marketplace
* Belz Factory Outlet World
* Colonial Plaza Mall
* Festival Bay Mall
* Interstate Mall
* Seminole Plaza
* Seminole Towne Center
* Winter Park Mall

* v
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Simon Property Group

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Simon Property Group malls in the western United States

Alaska|

* Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall

Arizona|

* Arizona Mills

California|

* Brea Mall
* Coddingtown Mall
* Del Amo Fashion Center
* Fashion Valley Mall
* Great Mall of the Bay Area
* Ontario Mills
* The Outlets at Orange
* Santa Rosa Plaza
* The Shops at Mission Viejo
* Stanford Shopping Center
* Stoneridge Shopping Center

Colorado|

* Colorado Mills

Nevada|

* The Forum Shops at Caesars
* Meadowood Mall

New Mexico|

* ABQ Uptown

Washington|

* Columbia Center Mall
* Northgate Station
* Tacoma Mall

* v
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* e

Simon Property Group malls in the midwestern United States

Illinois|

* Chicago Premium Outlets
* Gurnee Mills
* Orland Square Mall
* White Oaks Mall
* Woodfield Mall (50%, co-owned with CalPERS)

Indiana|

* Castleton Square Mall
* College Mall
* Fashion Mall at Keystone
* Greenwood Park Mall
* Hamilton Town Center
* Tippecanoe Mall
* University Park Mall

Kansas|

* Towne East Square

Michigan|

* Briarwood Mall

Minnesota|

* Miller Hill Mall
* Southdale Center

Missouri|

* Battlefield Mall
* Independence Center

Ohio|

* Summit Mall

South Dakota|

* Empire Mall

Wisconsin|

* Bay Park Square

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Simon Property Group malls in the northeastern United States

Delaware|

* Dover Mall

Maryland|

* Arundel Mills
* St. Charles Towne Center

Massachusetts|

* Auburn Mall
* Burlington Mall
* Cape Cod Mall
* Copley Place
* Liberty Tree Mall
* The Mall at Chestnut Hill
* Northshore Mall
* South Shore Plaza
* Square One Mall

New Hampshire|

* Mall at Rockingham Park
* Mall of New Hampshire
* Pheasant Lane Mall

New Jersey|

* Menlo Park Mall
* Newport Centre
* Ocean County Mall
* Quaker Bridge Mall
* Rockaway Townsquare
* The Shops at Riverside
* The Mills at Jersey Gardens

New York|

* Roosevelt Field
* Smith Haven Mall
* Walt Whitman Shops
* The Shops at Nanuet
* The Westchester

Pennsylvania|

* King of Prussia
* Lehigh Valley Mall (majority-owned by PREIT, managed by Simon)
* Oxford Valley Mall
* Ross Park Mall
* South Hills Village
* Springfield Mall (co-owned with PREIT, managed by PREIT)

Virginia|

* Apple Blossom Mall
* Fashion Centre at Pentagon City
* Potomac Mills

* v
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* e

Simon Property Group malls in the southern United States

Arkansas|

* McCain Mall

Florida|

* Aventura Mall
* The Avenues
* Brickell City Centre
* Coconut Point
* Coral Square
* Cordova Mall
* Dadeland Mall
* The Falls
* The Florida Mall
* Miami International Mall
* Pier Park
* Sawgrass Mills
* St. Johns Town Center
* Town Center at Boca Raton
* Treasure Coast Square
* Tyrone Square Mall

Georgia|

* Lenox Square
* Mall of Georgia
* Phipps Plaza
* Sugarloaf Mills

Louisiana|

* Prien Lake Mall

North Carolina|

* Concord Mills
* Southpark Mall

Oklahoma|

* Penn Square Mall
* Woodland Hills Mall

South Carolina|

* Haywood Mall

Tennessee|

* Opry Mills
* West Town Mall
* Wolfchase Galleria

Texas|

* Barton Creek Square
* Broadway Square Mall
* Cielo Vista Mall
* The Domain
* Firewheel Town Center
* Grapevine Mills
* The Galleria
* Houston Premium Outlets
* Katy Mills
* Lakeline Mall
* North East Mall
* La Plaza Mall
* Midland Park Mall

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Premium Outlets and Factory Stores outlet centers in the eastern United States

All malls are suffixed with Premium Outlets unless noted otherwise.

Florida|

* Orlando International Premium Outlets

Maryland|

* Hagerstown

Massachusetts|

* Wrentham Village

Michigan|

* Birch Run

New Hampshire|

* Merrimack

New York|

* Woodbury Common

Pennsylvania|

* Grove City
* Philadelphia

Virginia|

* Norfolk
* Williamsburg

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* e

Premium Outlets and Factory Stores outlet centers in the western United States

All malls are suffixed with Premium Outlets unless noted otherwise.

Southern California|

* Las Americas

Minnesota|

* Albertville

Nevada|

* Las Vegas North

Oregon|

* Woodburn

Texas|

* Round Rock

Washington|

* Seattle

Wisconsin|

* Johnson Creek
* Pleasant Prairie

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Premium Outlets and Factory Stores outlet centers in Canada

Ontario|

* Toronto Premium Outlets

Quebec|

* Premium Outlets Montreal

Alberta|

* Premium Outlet Collection EIA

* David Simon
* Herb Simon
* Melvin Simon
* List of properties

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