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Colonial Plaza

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Coordinates: 28°33′01″N 81°20′59″W / 28.55028°N 81.34972°W / 28.55028; -81.34972
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Colonial Plaza
Map
LocationOrlando, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates28°33′01″N 81°20′59″W / 28.55028°N 81.34972°W / 28.55028; -81.34972
Address601 North Bumby Avenue
Opening date1956
DeveloperR. M. Thompson Co.
OwnerWeingarten Realty
No. of stores and services50+
No. of anchor tenants15+
Total retail floor area497,693 square feet (46,237.2 m2)[1]
No. of floors1
Public transit accessLocal Transit Lynx 6, 13, 51, 313 at the Colonial Plaza SuperStop

Colonial Plaza is a shopping center in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 1956, it was the largest retail development in the state of Florida at the time of its construction. The original complex included two supermarkets and two variety stores, plus a Belk department store. It also underwent multiple expansions in its history, the first of which added a Jordan Marsh department store and an enclosed mall concourse. Further expansion in 1973 added a second enclosed wing and a relocation of Belk, while Ivey's was added in 1983 and sold to Dillard's in 1990.

The center's vacancy increased in the early 1990s due to competition from Orlando Fashion Square and complexities with the property's layout, with Jordan Marsh, Dillard's, and Belk all closing between 1991 and 1995. A renovation between 1995 and 1996 restructured the complex into an open-air power center. Since 2001, it has been owned and managed by Weingarten Realty, and major tenants include Total Wine & More, Hobby Lobby, Ross Dress for Less, Staples, Bealls Outlet, Marshalls, Old Navy, Big Lots, Stein Mart, Barnes & Noble, and Petco.

History

Groundbreaking for the center began in mid-1954. The site chosen for the center was the corner of Colonial Drive (Florida State Road 50) and Bumby Avenue, on land previously used as a cow pasture. Overall construction costs were estimated at $3,000,000 (equivalent to $34,037,175 in 2023). The center's architect was Morris Lapidus, while development, construction, contracting, and engineering were handled by the R. M. Thompson Co. of Clearwater, and the firm of Michael R. Sudakow financed the project and Howard D. Spencer handled leasing. At the time, it was the largest retail development in the state of Florida. Representatives of the Sudakow firm said that the site for the center was chosen because they felt that Orlando, being in the center of the state, was poised for significant growth in the retail sector. The specific location was chosen because of its proximity to the Orlando market's center of population at the time.[2]

File:Colonial plaza postcard 1962.jpg
A postcard depicting Colonial Plaza in 1962, showing Belk, W. T. Grant, and the enclosed mall addition opened that year.

Colonial Plaza opened for business in January 1956. The center included two supermarkets: a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) Publix, described by The Orlando Sentinel as the "largest supermarket in central Florida",[3] and A&P, whose store was described by that chain's vice-president of operations for the Southeastern United States area as "large enough to serve the needs of residents in the east area of Orlando."[4] Two variety store chains also had locations in the center: W. T. Grant, whose 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m2) location was their second in the Orlando area,[5] and a smaller McCrory, which was the forty-first in the state of Florida.[6] Other notable tenants upon opening included a dry cleaner, a shoe repair shop, a television and appliance store, a camera shop, several local clothing stores, a Walgreens pharmacy, and two national shoe stores: Kinney Shoes and Thom McAn.[7] All of the stores opened to a specially designed sidewalk, which was tinted green to reduce glare, and protected by overhangs from each store.[8] The center's parking lot had over 2,000 spaces, and was illuminated by mercury-vapor lamps.[9] Two months after the rest of the center opened, a 75,000-square-foot (7,000 m2) Belk department store opened as well. It was the largest department store in Orlando at the time, including departments for men's, women's, and children's clothing and footwear, along with jewelry, gardening, sporting goods, patio furniture, a key and lock shop, and a sandwich shop.[10]

In 1961 and 1962, the center underwent its first expansion, consisting of 30 new storefronts facing an enclosed, air-conditioned mall concourse, and ending in a 230,000 square feet (21,000 m2) Jordan Marsh department store. This expansion increased the size of the property to 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) and over 57 stores, making it the largest shopping center in Florida at the time.[11] This enclosed portion began at the existing strip's middle, extending backward from W. T. Grant to the Jordan Marsh store along a 461-foot (141 m) corridor of stores. It was decorated with lampposts, lanters, planters with palm trees, and brick and redwood flooring.[11] Jordan Marsh's store featured a mix of "tropical colors" and pastel tones, along with Venetian glass and rosewood paneling. To accommodate the expansion, the parking lot was expanded to a capacity of 15,000 cars. The majority of the stores in this section were local and regional stores, except for 5-7-9 and Lane Bryant.[12]

1970s–1980s: South Mall and Ivey's

A second expansion was announced in 1972, consisting of a second mall concourse behind the Jordan Marsh store, and leading to a newer, larger Belk department store. This expansion, known as the South Mall, would bring the mall's overall size to 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2) and over 100 shops.[13][14] Coinciding with this expansion, the existing property was refurbished with new lighting, floors, and ceilings.[14] The new location of Belk and the South Mall both opened in 1973. Among the new tenants in the South Mall were Casual Corner, Waldenbooks, Spencer Gifts, and relocations of Kinney Shoes and 5-7-9.[15] The new Belk location had more than double the floor space of its prior location, reflecting the company's move toward larger stores.[16] Store managers noted that the new location would carry more women's designer clothing and sportswear, in addition to furs and year-round sales of swimsuits.[17] The expansion of Colonial Plaza coincided with several other retail developments throughout the area, including another mall, Orlando Fashion Square, right across the street.[18]

Belk's previous location in Colonial Plaza was converted to O. G. Wilson's, a catalog showroom chain then owned by the Zale Corporation, in 1974.[19] A year later, W. T. Grant filed for bankruptcy and closed all of its stores. Their location at Colonial Plaza was sold to the F. W. Woolworth Company, who opened there in early 1977. This Woolworth location was based on a prototype introduced at a store in Miami in 1972, offering a wider variety of merchandise than its usual stores and featuring a 140-seat restaurant.[20] Another expansion was announced in 1982, consisting of a two-story, 85,200 square feet (7,920 m2) Ivey's department store, which would connect to the existing property in front of Woolworth via a 45-foot (14 m)-wide hallway lined with kiosks. In addition, the mall's parking lot was redesigned and re-landscaped, while the original strip of stores and the O. G. Wilson building were given new facades. Ivey's representatives had first wanted to locate at the mall in 1979, but negotiations were delayed due two two factors: Prudential Financial purchasing the mall from its original owners Michael R. Sudakow Corporation in 1980, and concerns from existing mall tenants over potential obstruction of visibility due to the addition of the new store.[21] Upon opening in 1983, the new Ivey's had the largest opening-day sales in the chain's history.[22] Mall merchants noted that the presence of construction workers and equipment caused a temporary decrease in traffic, which was compounded when a fire broke out in the mall and destroyed the merchandise of four stores. Despite this, many new stores were added in this timespan including Gap, Miracle-Ear, and Fanny Farmer. Once construction was done and the new stores were opened, most mall merchants noticed that the renovations led to an increase in mall traffic and sales. However, some merchants in the South Mall noted that their sales lagged behind the rest of the mall, as shoppers tended to park toward the Ivey's end of the mall more frequently, thus not realizing that the South Mall existed on the other side of Jordan Marsh.[23][22]

By 1985, the Publix store in the mall had closed. Although Dayton-Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation) had announced plans to open a branch of its R. G. Branden's housewares chain in the building,[24] it was instead sold to Rhodes Furniture, which opened in 1987.[25] Also in 1987, the O. G. Wilson store closed and was converted to J. Byrons, a Miami-based housewares and clothing store. This opening marked the chain's return to the Orlando market, as its previous stores were sold to Ross Dress for Less in 1985 due to poor sales.[26]

1990s: Decline and redevelopment

Dillard's acquired and rebranded the entire Ivey's chain in mid-1990.[27] Federated Stores (now Macy's, Inc.) announced soon afterward that it would close all of the Jordan Marsh department stores in Florida by 1991. The closure of this anchor drew concern over the mall's design, particularly since Jordan Marsh separated the 1962-era mall from the South Mall. Other issues with the mall's design were brought up by many of its tenants at the time, including its "hybrid" design from being a traditional strip mall that was expanded; the distance between the Ivey's and Belk stores; and the lack of restaurants or a food court, due to original tenant Ronnie's Restaurant holding veto power over other food vendors in the mall. Representatives of J.J. Gumberg Co., then-owners of the mall, began proposing replacements for the Jordan Marsh store, and underwent negotiations with representatives of J. C. Penney, Parisian, Gayfers, and Montgomery Ward. Gumberg also proposed moving Dillard's into the Jordan Marsh building, or replacing the building with several smaller stores in order to promote better traffic flow to the South Mall and Belk.[28][23] A representative of Federated noted that the store was not purchased by any of the other chains that took most of the other Jordan Marsh locations in Florida due to its large size and proximity to the company's Burdines store across the street at Orlando Fashion Square.[29] In order to maintain customer traffic to the South Mall, the mall's owners erected more signs directing customers to it, while also offering golf cart service between the older property and it. After Jordan Marsh was closed, the building was used to make a "tunnel" connecting to the South Mall, lined with artwork.[30] Woolworth announced the closure of its store at Colonial Plaza in October 1993.[31] These closures, combined with increasing competition from Orlando Fashion Square, led to a massive decline of inline tenants and shopper traffic throughout the first few years of the 1990s.[32] In 1994, Cousins/Newmarket, a company out of Atlanta, Georgia, announced plans to buy the mall and redevelop it into a power center.[33] Following this announcement, both Dillard's and Belk closed between late 1994 and early 1995.[34][35]

1995–present: Redevelopment into a power center

After acquiring the property in early 1995, Cousins/Newmarket announced that redevelopment plans would call for demolition of nearly the entire property, except for Walgreens, J. Byron's (which closed in early 1996 during redevelopment of the mall),[36] the former Belk, and Rhodes Furniture. As part of the redevelopment, the former Belk was divided between Marshalls and a new location of Rhodes Furniture, while the latter's old store became Barnes & Noble. Tenants in the new center included Old Navy, Circuit City, Ross Dress for Less, Linens 'n Things, Baby Superstore (which merged with Babies "R" Us soon after opening), and L. Luria & Sons catalog showroom.[37] Other major stores included Stein Mart, Men's Wearhouse, and Just for Feet.[38] Many of these big box stores opened in stages between late 1995 and early 1996.[39] L. Luria & Sons underwent a chainwide liquidation in mid-1997,[40] and by 1999, their building had been retenanted by Staples.[41]

Weingarten Realty acquired the property from Cousins/Newmarket in 2001. At the time of acquisition, the center was 97 percent leased.[42] Under their ownership, some changes in key tenants occurred. Rhodes Furniture closed and became another furniture store called Floor & Decor in 2007.[43] Both Linens 'n Things and Circuit City closed in 2009 after those chains filed for bankruptcy. Taking their respective places at Colonial Plaza were Big Lots and the first Hobby Lobby in the Orlando area.[44] Babies "R" Us closed in 2011,[45] and was replaced by Bealls Outlet and Ulta Beauty two years later.[46] Five Below opened at the center in August 2018.[47] In late 2018, Floor & Decor moved across the street to Orlando Fashion Square.[48]

References

  1. ^ "Colonial Plaza". Weingarten Realty. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  2. ^ Field, Ben (May 16, 1954). "$3,000,000 development paces Orlando's growth". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 1D. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  3. ^ "Publix has new service". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 1D. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  4. ^ "A&P ready for opening". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 12C. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  5. ^ "Grants will feature modern merchandising". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 9D. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  6. ^ "Self service shopping set". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 10C. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  7. ^ "New stores listed at Colonial Plaza". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 12C. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  8. ^ "Shoppers will like sidewalks". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 9D. Retrieved 28 August 2018 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  9. ^ "Daylight lighting set at center". The Orlando Sentinel. January 31, 1956. p. 1D. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  10. ^ "Belk's new department store set for opening". The Orlando Sentinel. March 7, 1956. p. 1C. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Colonial Plaza's 57 stores in gala opening". The Orlando Sentinel. October 21, 1962. p. 19F. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "New Jordan Marsh store". The Orlando Sentinel. June 25, 1961. p. 2E. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  13. ^ Marlowe, Dick (May 16, 1972). "Plaza plans $6 million expansion". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. 1A, 22A. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  14. ^ a b Marlowe, Dick (April 1, 1973). "Plaza's growth mirrors Orlando boom". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 9D. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  15. ^ Williams, Andy (August 27, 1973). "Colonial Plaza firm on opening date". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 5B. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  16. ^ Pollick, Mike (October 14, 1973). "Mall Belk Lindsey to open Monday". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 16C. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  17. ^ Trexler, Lynn (October 16, 1973). "Hundreds attend opening of Belk-Lindsey". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 1D. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  18. ^ Marlowe, Dick (October 21, 1973). "Shopping centered here". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 1F. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  19. ^ "Myers to manage catalog showroom". The Orlando Sentinel. May 1, 1974. p. 13A. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  20. ^ "Woolworth opening modern store in Colonial Plaza". The Orlando Sentinel. November 24, 1976. p. 4B. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  21. ^ Hagstrom, Suzy (April 22, 1982). "Colonial Plaza will get facelift, new Ivey's store". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. F1, F2. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  22. ^ a b Hagstrom, Suzy (August 11, 1983). "Ivey's opening has mall abuzz". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. D1, D2. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  23. ^ a b Hagstrom, Suzy (August 13, 1984). "Colonial Plaza - the old and the new". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 3. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  24. ^ "CFB report". The Orlando Sentinel. September 16, 1985. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  25. ^ "CFB report". The Orlando Sentinel. January 19, 1987. pp. 1, 2. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  26. ^ Smith, Denise L. (June 27, 1987). "JByrons comes back to Orlando". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. B1, B6. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  27. ^ "Dillard's moves in". The Orlando Sentinel. November 1, 1990. p. C1. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  28. ^ Suris, Oscar (May 6, 1991). "Plaza shopping for a solution". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 5. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  29. ^ Feigenbaum, Nancy (September 4, 1991). "Store's exit leaves a hole in the mall". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. A1, A5. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  30. ^ Patrizio, Ron (October 17, 1991). "Signs, golf carts steer shoppers through mall". The Orlando Sentinel. p. I3. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  31. ^ Feigenbaum, Nancy (October 23, 1993). "Woolworth phase-out on the menu". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. C1, C10. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  32. ^ Feigenbaum, Nancy (February 3, 1992). "Mall suffers after chains pull out". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 5. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  33. ^ Jackson, Jerry (June 3, 1994). "Colonial Plaza Mall plans may mean shops are history". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. B1, B5. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  34. ^ Shenot, Christine (December 30, 1994). "Closing act draws near at Orlando mall". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. C1, C4. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  35. ^ Snyder, Jack (January 12, 1995). "Plaza to lose Belk-Lindsey". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. B1, B5. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  36. ^ Kuhn, Brad (January 25, 1996). "Byrons will change into Uptons". The Orlando Sentinel. p. B1. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  37. ^ Stutzman, Rene (February 20, 1995). "More mall details". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 22. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  38. ^ "Retail". The Orlando Sentinel. June 17, 1996. p. 19. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  39. ^ "Colonial Plaza progress". The Orlando Sentinel. November 14, 1995. p. B1. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  40. ^ "Luria's checks out of Orlando". The Orlando Sentinel. July 11, 1997. p. B1, B6. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  41. ^ "More Staples in the area?". The Orlando Sentinel. June 7, 1999. p. 1. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  42. ^ Milioto, Misty (February 27, 2001). "Weingarten Realty Investors acquires Colonial Plaza Marketcenter". NREI Online. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  43. ^ Chediak, Mark (May 21, 2007). "Floor & Decor outlets chain debuts in Orlando". The Orlando Sentinel. p. 3. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  44. ^ Pedicini, Sandra (October 8, 2010). "New stores snag shuttered spots". The Orlando Sentinel. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  45. ^ Pedicini, Sandra (October 6, 2011). "Orlando Babies "R" Us and Toys "R" Us closing Sunday". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  46. ^ "Openings". The Orlando Sentinel. July 8, 2013. p. D2. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  47. ^ O'Connor, Brendan (August 26, 2018). "New Five Below Shop Now Open in Colonial Plaza". Bungalower. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  48. ^ "First look: Orlando Fashion Square mall's $20M rehab welcomes its 1st ancho". Orlando Business Journal. October 2, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
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