Countryside Mall (Clearwater, Florida) facts for kids

Countryside Mall (which used to be called Westfield Countryside) is a big shopping mall in Clearwater, Florida. It's located near the Gulf Coast. Lots of people visit this mall every year, over 9 million! It has five main stores, called anchor stores, a large movie theater with 12 screens, many places to eat, and even an ice skating rink.

History of Countryside Mall

How the Mall Started

Countryside Mall first opened its doors on September 8, 1975. When it first opened, it had big stores like Maas Brothers and Sears. A year later, JCPenney and J. W. Robinson's also opened. Out of these four original stores, only JCPenney is still there today.

Sears later became smaller to make room for other stores and then closed in 2018. Maas Brothers is now a Macy's store. It used to be called Burdines. J. W. Robinson's is now a Dillard's. It was once called Maison Blanche.

There was also a movie theater with six screens built near the mall. But not enough people went to it, so it closed in 2000. Now, that building is a fitness center called Crunch Fitness.

Changes and New Owners

In 2002, a company called Westfield Group bought Countryside Mall. They bought it as part of a big deal that included 13 other shopping centers. After Westfield Group bought the mall, they changed its name to "Westfield Countryside."

Mall Gets a Makeover

In April 2009, the mall started a big renovation project. This makeover cost $12 million! The inside of the mall was completely updated. They added new escalators, new floors, and new ceilings. They also put in more skylights to let in natural light. The children's play area was made bigger, and the food court was completely redesigned. Many old planters and fake columns were removed. Lots of new stores also came to the mall. All these changes were finished in November 2009.

New Fun and Food Spots

In December 2011, a new movie theater called Countryside Cobb-12 Cinema opened on the second floor of the mall. In 2012, Westfield Countryside also added popular restaurants like Bar Louie, BJ's Brewhouse & Restaurant, Grimaldi's Coal Fired Pizzeria, and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. In 2013, PF Chang's China Bistro was added. These restaurants created a special area called "Restaurant Row."

In September 2014, the first and only Whole Foods Market in Pinellas County opened at the mall. It took up part of the old Sears store space. Later, in late 2015, Nordstrom Rack opened its first store in Pinellas County at Westfield Countryside. It opened in the building that used to be the Sears Auto Center.

On April 23, 2018, Sears announced that its store at the mall would be closing. The store officially closed on July 15, 2018.

Main Stores (Anchors)

Anchor stores are usually the biggest stores in a mall. They help attract many shoppers.

Current Anchor Stores

• Dillard's (225,000 square feet): This store opened in 1976 as J.W. Robinsons. It was sold to Maison Blanche in 1987 and then to Dillard's in 1991.
• JCPenney (166,000 square feet): This store opened in 1976.
• Macy's (215,000 square feet): This store opened in 1975 as Maas Brothers. It became Burdines in 1991 and then Macy's in 2005.
• Nordstrom Rack (38,080 square feet): This store opened in 2015 in the old Sears Auto Center.
• Whole Foods Market (37,594 square feet): This grocery store opened in 2014 in part of the old Sears building.

Former Anchor Stores

• Burdines
• Maas Brothers
• Maison Blanche
• J.W. Robinson's
• Sears (147,510 square feet): This store opened in 1975. It used to be much bigger. It closed on July 15, 2018.

Restaurants at the Mall

You can find many different places to eat at Countryside Mall, including:

• BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse
• Charleys Philly Steaks
• The Cheesecake Factory
• P.F. Chang's
• Red Robin
• Sarku Japan
• Chic-fil-A

See also

In Spanish: Westfield Countryside para niños