DeSoto Square
| Location | Bradenton, Florida |
|---|---|
| Address | 303 301 Boulevard West |
| Opening date | August 15, 1973 |
| Developer | Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. |
| Owner | Mason Asset Management |
| No. of stores and services | 100 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (2 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 678,000 square feet[1] |
| No. of floors | 1 |
DeSoto Square is an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida. It was built in 1973 and features JCPenney, Hudson's Furniture, and Sears.
History
The center was built by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. in 1973. It was originally to be called Bradenton Mall, but the name was determined unacceptable by city officials because the mall was not located within city limits.[2] At the time, the mall included Sears, J.C. Penney and Maas Brothers as its anchor stores.[3] The mall had its grand opening on August 15, 1973 with about 37 shops open and 47 still moving in.[4] Belk-Lindsey was added as a fourth anchor in 1979, after having been evicted from a nearby store at Cortez Plaza.[5]
Burdines expressed interest in opening a store at DeSoto Square as early as 1979,[6] but it did not join the mall until taking over the former Maas Brothers in 1991. A year later, Belk sold its store in the mall to Dillard's.[7] Old Navy was added in 2000.[8] The Burdines became Burdines-Macy's in 2003, then just Macy's in 2005.
Several stores closed in 2009 due to the declining economy, including Old Navy, Foot Locker, Waldenbooks and the Dillard's anchor.[9] The Old Navy space became a family entertainment center called Saturn 5 in 2010.[10]
In May 2012, Simon Property Group (which bought out DeBartolo in 1996) announced plans to sell the mall.[11] In November of that year, Mason Asset Management acquired the mall for $25 million.[12] Macy's announced the closure of its store at the mall in July 2014.[13] The theater closed a month later.[14]
References
- ↑ "Local Mall Leasing". simon. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Desoto Square Mall tackles economy". bradenton. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2016-07-14.
- ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Sarasota Journal - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "3 Belk Lindsey stores sold to Dillard". pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Retailers open in Desoto Square". bradenton. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "Hot this week: Family entertainment center officially opens". HeraldTribune.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ "DeSoto Square Mall appears set to change hands". HeraldTribune.com. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ Salman, Josh (November 20, 2012). "DeSoto Square mall in Bradenton is sold". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- ↑ "Macy's closing DeSoto Square store in". bradenton. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
- ↑ comments, Movie theater closes in DeSoto Square Mall 0. "Movie theater closes in DeSoto Square Mall". Sarasota News | Mysuncoast.com and ABC 7. Retrieved 2015-12-22.