Dead Mall: Regency Square Mall

[thelakelander]

With the recent announcement of JCPenney's decision to close, Jacksonville's Regency Square Mall has been delivered a punch that may represent the final nail in the coffin of its demise. Courtesy of Abandoned Florida, here is a look at the rise and fall of Regency Square Mall.

Read More: https://www.thejaxsonmag.com/article/dead-mall-regency-square-mall/

[Peter Griffin]

Abandoned Florida rocks. Regency Square Mall is a tale of the times. I'd imagine at some point it'll become more housing similar to the developments just north of it near the Southside Connector Expressway.

[vicupstate]

How is Arlington doing generally?  If the retail around the mall surviving, thriving or declining?

Are the residential areas stagnant?

I know things were not too good several years back. Has that changed at all?

[thelakelander]

The area around the mall seems to be surviving. There's been investment but there have also been retail closures associated with national chains that have gone bankrupt. Unfortunately, the mall's days are over. Belk moving out to a new shopping center a few miles east, was probably the nail in the mall's coffin.  Several other retailers have relocated from the mall, into surrounding strip malls as well. There's a church replacing the old Belk and I know they mean well, but a church between the west and east mall, isn't the type of anchor that can support smaller retailers seven days a week.

[MusicMan]

Is this Regency related to the same "best in class" company that is developing San Marco Publix?

[jaxlongtimer]

Is this Regency related to the same "best in class" company that is developing San Marco Publix?

Yes.  Joan and Martin Stein built Regency Square (built on former titanium strip mining sand dunes) and ultimately sold it off before its fortunes declined.  Their son, Martin "Hap" Stein, Jr. has built up Regency Centers from the family's original development company.  FYI, when the Steins built Regency Square, they didn't just own the mall but also much of the land north of it that is now home to office buildings and more stores.  There also was in the early years several out parcels that included a very popular restaurant/night club (Annietiques), grocery store (Banner Food Stores), tire shop and a very large circular movie theater (Regency Theater) that was ultimately divided into a twin theater.  The office tower in the rear housed operations of Barnett Banks.

Here is a quote from a Florida Times Union 2016 article:

Stein is the son of Martin and Joan Stein, who started the company as Regency Square Properties in Jacksonville in 1963. The company opened the area's first regional mall, Regency Square in Arlington, in 1967, but no longer owns that property, which it sold in 1991.

https://www.jacksonville.com/business/2016-11-15/jacksonville-based-regency-centers-buy-equity-one-stock-deal-worth-about-5

[bl8jaxnative]

How is Arlington doing generally?  If the retail around the mall surviving, thriving or declining?

Are the residential areas stagnant?

I know things were not too good several years back. Has that changed at all?

This doesn't speak to overall income for all census tracts in the area.  But  1 neighborhood adjacent to the mall, absolute poverty is growing much worse.  And that's poverty-poverty.  I wouldn't be surprised to see median incomes in a bunch of those census tracts around there slipping.  And they weren't very high to begin with.

https://eig.org/neighborhood-poverty-project/interactive-map

        Deepening poverty: neighborhoods that had a poverty rate above or equal to 20 percent and below 30 percent in 1980 and were high poverty in 2018.

[Charles Hunter]

On the other hand, there are hundreds of new single family homes and apartments on the old sand dunes north of the Mall.

[Peter Griffin]

On the other hand, there are hundreds of new single family homes and apartments on the old sand dunes north of the Mall.

I'm so glad I got to go offroading out there before they were developed. Offroading out there is apparently a tradition going all the way back to the 60's and 70's. Feels like a lost piece of redneck history, and I'm proud to be a little part of it.

In all my time in Arlington, though, living about a mile from the mall, I never once set foot in there.

[Snaketoz]

On the other hand, there are hundreds of new single family homes and apartments on the old sand dunes north of the Mall.

I'm so glad I got to go offroading out there before they were developed. Offroading out there is apparently a tradition going all the way back to the 60's and 70's. Feels like a lost piece of redneck history, and I'm proud to be a little part of it.

In all my time in Arlington, though, living about a mile from the mall, I never once set foot in there.

Yeah, I remember offroading was big in the late 60s.  At one time on any given day you could go just east of Mill Creek Rd at Lone Star and there would be VW dune buggies, jeeps, dirt bikes, etc. having a good time.  Thanks for rekindling my memories Peter.

[Charles Hunter]

Remember the years when some company had a parade of bright yellow [?] tanker trucks going out into the dunes to dump "treated waste"? I think the company was SaniGreen or something like that. Hope y'all weren't off-roading in freshly sprayed "stuff".

[MusicMan]

Arlington does have some of the best priced navigable waterfront property in Duval.

[Megabox]

Maybe they should have a funeral service for the Regency Square Mall at the Impact Church.

[jaxlongtimer]

Remember the years when some company had a parade of bright yellow [?] tanker trucks going out into the dunes to dump "treated waste"? I think the company was SaniGreen or something like that. Hope y'all weren't off-roading in freshly sprayed "stuff".

Could you be talking about Safety-Kleen?  If so, they are still around.  They supposedly make their living properly disposing of dangerous chemicals.  Even so, over the years, they have had some environmental violation fines around the country but I couldn't find any for here. 

Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. is a company that provides services such as collecting and recycling oil, providing industrial cleaning, and handling industrial waste. In addition, their products include cleaning equipment, antifreeze and coolant, windshield cleaner, and re-refined oil products.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety-Kleen

[marcuscnelson]

That was fast.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/article/rebirth-for-regency-square-mall-nearly-vacant-retail-center-under-contract

Aren't Rimrock Devlin the same group working on the convention center with Khan?