Sarasota Square Mall facts for kids
| Location | Sarasota, Florida, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 27°14′03″N 82°29′35″W / 27.2342°N 82.493°W |
| Address | 8201 South Tamiami Trail |
| Opening date | 1977 |
| Developer | Arlen Realty and Development Corporation |
| Management | Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield |
| Owner | Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield |
| No. of stores and services | 26 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 (3 open, 2 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 1,002,983 sq ft (93,180.2 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Public transit access | Sarasota County Area Transit |
The Sarasota Square Mall is a popular shopping mall located in Sarasota, Florida. It used to be known as Westfield Shoppingtown Sarasota Square and Westfield Sarasota Square. This mall is a big place where people can shop, eat, and have fun. Its main or "anchor" stores are Costco, JCPenney, and AMC Sarasota 12, which is a movie theater.
Contents
The Mall's Story: How It Began
The idea for Sarasota Square Mall started in 1976. A company called Arlen Realty and Development Corporation announced plans to build it. When the mall first opened, some of its biggest stores were Maas Brothers, JCPenney, and J. Byrons. Other early shops included Camelot Music, Kinney Shoes, and Morrison's Cafeteria.
Growing Bigger: New Stores Arrive
In 1988, the mall got even bigger with an expansion. This added a new department store called Parisian. It was only the second Parisian store outside of its home state of Alabama. Over the years, some of the original stores changed names. For example, Maas Brothers became Burdines in 1991, then Burdines-Macy's in 2003, and finally just Macy's in 2005.
In 1995, there were plans for Parisian to sell its store to Dillard's. Dillard's eventually opened in the old Parisian building in 1996.
Changing Owners and Names
In 2003, a company called Westfield Group bought the mall. They changed its name to Westfield Shoppingtown Sarasota Square. A few years later, in 2005, they dropped "Shoppingtown" from the name, making it Westfield Sarasota Square.
Then, in July 2019, the mall's current owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, announced another name change. They decided to go back to the mall's original name, "Sarasota Square," removing "Westfield" from it.
New Stores and Departures
Some stores have left the mall over the years, and new ones have taken their place. For example, Dillard's closed its store at Sarasota Square in 2009. That building was then torn down, and a new Costco store was built there, opening in 2012.
In 2017, two more big stores announced they would be closing. Sears closed its Sarasota Square location on September 18, 2017. Macy's also closed its store on March 26, 2017.
On July 31, 2020, JCPenney put 21 of its stores up for sale, including the one at Sarasota Square.
See also
In Spanish: Westfield Sarasota Square para niños
