Regency Mall coming back?

[thekillingwax]

Was there bad behavior? Yeah. But I've seen worse behavior at the Orange Park mall in the past couple of years. Like everyone else is saying, the mall was already doing poorly, the bad element just made it worse.

It also didn't help that the security guards there were hyper-aggressive jerkwads that would harass anyone they could. I think I mentioned it a long time ago, but I used to get my hair cut at the Hair Cuttery there and one afternoon, I was getting a trim and a construction worker came and checked in and still had his hard hat on, he takes it off and he had a light blue bandana covering his hair under the hat. Almost immediately, a guard rushes into the salon and tells him to remove his bandana at once because gang colors aren't allowed in the mall. We all start laughing but nope, this guy was dead serious, accusing a nearly 50 year old worker who quite obviously just got off work of being a gang member. The barber doing me told the guard to get out of the store. In fact, the only negative interactions I've ever had with anyone at Regency were the mall cops during that time period. If you were male and under 60, they treated you like a threat- regardless of appearance. Walking too slow? Up to no good. Walking too fast? Up to no good. Looking at a display through a window? Up to no good. Sitting on a bench? Up to no good? Waiting for someone to use the restroom? You are a terrorist and should be shot.

[coredumped]

Wow I had no idea there were these issues with trigger happy mall cops. Maybe because I'm white, or maybe because I wasn't there during that time frame. Not sure. I shopped there frequently from 07-11 and didn't see a problem with the mall, other than stores leaving. But I always felt safe and didn't witness "thugs" etc.

I'm excited to see what will come from these new stores. It's certainly something that will be unique in Jax that only regency will provide. I'm thinking of a high end flea market maybe? It'll be interesting to see.

[Tacachale]

Regency died through a combination of age, demographics, and perception. When it was built, both the mall and Arlington were hot commodities. Now the mall is almost 50 years old, it hasn't been seriously updated in a long time, and it's had trouble attracting popular new stores. The neighborhood has also aged. Since the 1990s at least, well-to-do of recent generations are by and large not moving to Arlington. The population has become less wealthy and more heavily African-American and immigrant. The mall's customer base reflects the area around it.

All this has contributed to a perception among much of the mall-going consumer base that Regency is unsafe and declining. The typical commentary unfortunately often revolves around racially coded language: We've all heard it described as "ghetto", full of "thugs", and "uh, sketchy, if you get my drift". It appears that the security team's efforts to make the mall less "sketchy" by enforcing the dress code and following people around aren't really working to make it seem less safe.

Whatever the reason, the mall is objectively declining. It's losing stores left and right, sales are down, and the property value is down. This comes even though many thousands of people pass through Arlington every day, and stores and restaurants in the outlying strips are mostly doing just fine. I think the movie theater is the most telling thing about it. It was formerly located within the mall, but eventually decided to expand into its own building, just as many other stores have subsequently left. Despite being saddled with some of the same "sketchy" baggage as the mall (and neighborhood), the theater has continued to boom. It was recently given an impressive upgrade and is easily the best of the big theaters in the city. Meanwhile, the mall itself hasn't found a way to keep up.

[I-10east]

IMO the biggest detriment to a former thriving Regency Square Mall was larceny, ALOT of larceny. I'm hearing people use these words like 'perception' well, all of that thieving was reality, no perception needed.

[I-10east]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PJF0YE-x4

Thank you for posting that! That is the real war, and sadly the bad side is seemingly winning nowadays; It always wasn't like that.

[JECJAX]

There is so much speculation and many opinions as to what happened.  I've personally worked in the Regency Square area for 25 years and live not too far away.  I have seen the mall thrive and decline.  I choose not to live in the past and try to label the past mistakes.  The truth is most all the stores and especially the restaurants around the mall are doing just fine.  I'm excited to see the Intl Outlets come in.  The sad part about the mall is it's old and outdated.  It could use a makeover - that would definitely be a plus.  I've never felt scared, threatened or in danger in the Regency area anymore than I have at other malls or anywhere else in Jacksonville that I frequent.   Let's support any new businesses in the area as it is a heavily traveled area and any improvement is a definite plus.

[JeffreyS]

I agree with Lake the only thing that happened to Regency Mall was, The Avenues, SJTC and River city Market Place.

[cif]

Regency died through a combination of age, demographics, and perception. When it was built, both the mall and Arlington were hot commodities. Now the mall is almost 50 years old, it hasn't been seriously updated in a long time, and it's had trouble attracting popular new stores. The neighborhood has also aged.

very correct. it's not a bad property at all, but as of 2014 (last time I was there before finally leaving arlington...) there were still some anchor tenants, while the whole wing between Sears and Dillard's, is it, was totally vacant. Not a single open storefront. the last time i was at the newer separate theater, whenever Cowboy Bebop finally showed at some midnight in the 2000s... the car next to mine had been flipped, the glass was shattered, and there was a ghetto bird (helicopter) lighting up the parking lot.

the bus station is out of control. i liked the idea of a big covered modern JTA hub.

Agree on the ... maladjusted security guards. Was detained once by a security guard, way back in 1997, who called JSO and asked them to arrest and return to Fernandina Beach, being a minor who actually had graduated high school, attending in the daytime hours. Officer looked at him for a second, looked at me said "you got a car?" yes sir. "see ya."

[Tacachale]

I agree with Lake the only thing that happened to Regency Mall was, The Avenues, SJTC and River city Market Place.

Yeah, I remember when the real exodus happened at Regency when the Avenues opened.

But the end of the 1990s was when all of the big boxes began opening everywhere but the mall proper.  None of it walkable. 

By the time the Town Center opened up, there wasn't any way to create a walkable village with the same amount of stores, big boxes and boutiques that the two areas had.  The easier option won, obviously.

Also, at the same time Baymeadows, Southside and northern St. Johns had started attracting much of the city's middle and upper-middle class, over Arlington.

[river4340]

I agree with Lake the only thing that happened to Regency Mall was, The Avenues, SJTC and River city Market Place.

I think it's a little of both. The perception of Regency certainly changed, but that was started with giving middle and upper classes other places to go.
I think the reality is also that there is simply no way to fill all those shopping centers with retail. Jacksonville has grown since Regency was by itself as the go-to for shopping. But it hasn't quadrupled in population. You can't just keep building more and more shopping centers without something going empty.
Regency, for several reasons, became the place that was going to lose.

[dos0711]

Personally, I'd like to see Regency Square Mall demo'd and the parcel re-purposed.

[aldermanparklover]

Personally, I'd like to see Regency Square Mall demo'd and the parcel re-purposed.

Personally I have mixed feelings about your statement BUT you may not be far off from the truth...

[manasia]

Personally, I'd like to see Regency Square Mall demo'd and the parcel re-purposed.

This might not be a bad idea.

[thelakelander]

Down to one traditional main anchor (JCPenney). Regency's days as a regional mall are just as bleak as Gateway's chances at gaining its former glory. Cherish the memories and let's see where the future takes this property.

[acme54321]

At least the regency property is in a prime location for redevelopment with the massive traffic that borders the property every day.  It will definitely be interesting to see what becomes of it.