Edison Mall facts for kids

Edison Mall is a large shopping mall in Fort Myers, Florida. It first opened its doors in 1965. Since then, it has grown with three big expansions. The mall is currently owned by Washington Prime Group.

Edison Mall has many stores, including 133 shops and a special outdoor area called a lifestyle center. Its main stores, called "anchors," are Dillard's, JCPenney, and two Macy's stores. Most of the mall is on one floor. However, the anchor stores like Dillard's, JCPenney, and Macy's have two floors.

Discovering Edison Mall's History

How Edison Mall Started

Edison Mall was built by George Sanders. It opened in 1965. The mall was located on U.S. Route 41 near Colonial Boulevard. This area was on the south side of Fort Myers. Back then, US 41 was a small two-lane road. There were not many other businesses nearby. There was a Publix grocery store and a drive-in theater. The drive-in theater later became a Kmart store. Now, it is a Floor & Decor. The mall's opening helped other businesses grow in south Fort Myers.

First Stores at the Mall

When Edison Mall first opened, it had two big anchor stores. These were JCPenney and Sears. They were located at opposite ends of the mall. This was a big deal because it was the first time these two rival stores were in the same mall in the United States! Both JCPenney and Sears moved from their older stores in downtown Fort Myers. The mall also had a Woolworth's store. Woolworth's was famous for selling many different items at low prices.

Maas Brothers Joins the Mall

Another important store, Maas Brothers, also opened in 1965. Maas Brothers was a department store from Tampa. It became the third anchor store in the middle of the mall. This was special because it was the first time Maas Brothers opened a store inside a shopping mall. Before this, they only had stores in downtown areas. Maas Brothers later opened more stores in malls along Florida's Gulf Coast. Like their other stores, the Maas Brothers at Edison Mall had a restaurant on its second floor.

Growing Bigger: Early Expansions

In 1979, George Sanders sold the mall to Aster Realty. That same year, the mall got a big expansion. A new section was added. This new wing included a second entrance to the Maas Brothers store. It also brought a fourth anchor store: Burdines, a department store from Miami. JCPenney also got bigger in 1979. They added a second floor to their store.

More Stores and New Names

The mall grew again in 1985. This time, J. W. Robinson's of Florida joined as an anchor. In 1987, J. W. Robinson's stores were sold to Maison Blanche. Then, in 1991, Dillard's bought the Maison Blanche store at Edison Mall. Also in 1991, Burdines took over Maas Brothers. The old Maas Brothers building was updated. It became a store for women's clothing. The men's, kids', and home sections stayed in the original Burdines location. Dillard's was also expanded and updated in 1999.

In 2003, the two Burdines stores at Edison Mall changed their names. They became Burdine's-Macy's. Two years later, in 2005, they dropped the "Burdine's" name and became just Macy's.

Modern Updates and Changes

Also in 2005, the mall's owner, Simon, announced more changes. They added an outdoor lifestyle center section. They also updated the inside of the mall.

In 2015, the company that owned Sears, Sears Holdings, created a new company called Seritage Growth Properties. This new company took over many Sears stores, including the one at Edison Mall.

In late 2017, a new section was opened inside the mall. This new part connected two existing hallways. This $4 million renovation made it easier to walk between different parts of the mall.

On February 2, 2020, the Sears store at Edison Mall closed its doors. It had been open for 55 years. It was the last Sears store to close in Southwest Florida. Other Sears stores in nearby cities like Naples and Port Charlotte had closed in 2018.