Just a couple of updates, Chicken Now is gonna open sometime this season (spring) at the food court.
www.higmgt.com/chicken-now/
I know that I'm likely very late with this one, Lunar Golf (a dark, space themed indoor mini golf spot) has taken the spot where Old Navy was at.
Quote from: I-10east on April 15, 2012, 01:06:07 PM
Just a couple of updates, Chicken Now is gonna open sometime this season (spring) at the food court.
www.higmgt.com/chicken-now/
I know that I'm likely very late with this one, Lunar Golf (a dark, space themed indoor mini golf spot) has taken the spot where Old Navy was at.
Never, ever go out there, but glad to see some businesses are still investing in the area. I've always felt that mall is just a potential dead-zone in waiting.
Quote from: ben says on April 15, 2012, 01:16:13 PM
Quote from: I-10east on April 15, 2012, 01:06:07 PM
Just a couple of updates, Chicken Now is gonna open sometime this season (spring) at the food court.
www.higmgt.com/chicken-now/
I know that I'm likely very late with this one, Lunar Golf (a dark, space themed indoor mini golf spot) has taken the spot where Old Navy was at.
Never, ever go out there, but glad to see some businesses are still investing in the area. I've always felt that mall is just a potential dead-zone in waiting.
They should tear it down and convert the whole space into parkland.
Quote from: Adam W on April 15, 2012, 01:24:33 PM
Quote from: ben says on April 15, 2012, 01:16:13 PM
Quote from: I-10east on April 15, 2012, 01:06:07 PM
Just a couple of updates, Chicken Now is gonna open sometime this season (spring) at the food court.
www.higmgt.com/chicken-now/
I know that I'm likely very late with this one, Lunar Golf (a dark, space themed indoor mini golf spot) has taken the spot where Old Navy was at.
Never, ever go out there, but glad to see some businesses are still investing in the area. I've always felt that mall is just a potential dead-zone in waiting.
They should tear it down and convert the whole space into parkland.
Now we're onto something!
I recall reading that there were proposals for revamping Regency, including bulldozing the newer section (west end) and possibly doing something similiar to SJTC. Guess the economic downturn killed that.
I had a really good vision a while back on what to do with regency mall. See if a mall group would buy it, one if the good mall groups, and do wonders with it.
All of the people that are negative about Regency, are probably negative about every mall period, or atleast every mall in Jax, so take that for what it's worth. Reg bulldozed for parkland? 'Great' idea!!! ::)
Quote from: I-10east on April 15, 2012, 06:57:38 PM
All of the people that are negative about Regency, are probably negative about every mall period, or atleast every mall in Jax, so take that for what it's worth. Reg bulldozed for parkland? 'Great' idea!!! ::)
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
If downtown were ever to grow again and become the hub of the city, Regency would make an ideal place for a mixed-use commercial/residential development - basically tower blocks of condos over shops with a metro stop so locals can get into town for work.
I have nothing against malls. One of the highlights of my trips back to Jax is visiting the St Johns Towncenter. We recently had a massive new mall open up a few miles from us and I visit it regularly. Malls have their purpose. Especially if you live somewhere where it rains a lot or is really, really hot.
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 02:52:55 AM
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
I grew up near there, too, in the 1980s and 90s. The area has seriously declined over the last few years, though now that the old Sound Advice and Toys R Us buildings are no longer vacant, maybe the area is on the upswing.
But the public perception is that the mall is unsafe and unlike the public's perception of downtown as a deadly no-man's land, they might be right on this one. The last two times my wife was visiting Regency Square, there was a shooting during the first visit (which was in the news) and a fistfight during the second. She's done with that mall and I've been done with it for years.
Quote from: Bativac on April 16, 2012, 07:45:14 AM
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 02:52:55 AM
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
I grew up near there, too, in the 1980s and 90s. The area has seriously declined over the last few years, though now that the old Sound Advice and Toys R Us buildings are no longer vacant, maybe the area is on the upswing.
But the public perception is that the mall is unsafe and unlike the public's perception of downtown as a deadly no-man's land, they might be right on this one. The last two times my wife was visiting Regency Square, there was a shooting during the first visit (which was in the news) and a fistfight during the second. She's done with that mall and I've been done with it for years.
Perhaps. I went there last July and it was almost empty.
Jacksonville has too many malls. That's not a statement against malls, but rather an observation. Regency mall is barely hanging on and it's getting to the point where it might not qualify as a mall much longer - if the large anchor store spaces are converted to other purposes (like entertainment). The place already has a police station.
Although my comment about converting it to parkland was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I think the mall has outlived its usefulness and should be razed. They could find better use for the land.
After downtown, I'd place the Regency area high on the list of places needing regeneration.
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 07:52:29 AM
Quote from: Bativac on April 16, 2012, 07:45:14 AM
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 02:52:55 AM
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
I grew up near there, too, in the 1980s and 90s. The area has seriously declined over the last few years, though now that the old Sound Advice and Toys R Us buildings are no longer vacant, maybe the area is on the upswing.
But the public perception is that the mall is unsafe and unlike the public's perception of downtown as a deadly no-man's land, they might be right on this one. The last two times my wife was visiting Regency Square, there was a shooting during the first visit (which was in the news) and a fistfight during the second. She's done with that mall and I've been done with it for years.
Perhaps. I went there last July and it was almost empty.
Jacksonville has too many malls. That's not a statement against malls, but rather an observation. Regency mall is barely hanging on and it's getting to the point where it might not qualify as a mall much longer - if the large anchor store spaces are converted to other purposes (like entertainment). The place already has a police station.
Although my comment about converting it to parkland was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I think the mall has outlived its usefulness and should be razed. They could find better use for the land.
After downtown, I'd place the Regency area high on the list of places needing regeneration.
TO be honest, indoor malls are dying a slow death nationwide. This "lifestyle center" craze has taken over and most malls are barely hanging on. In regard to regency, as long as they keep their major teanets (sears, Belk, Jcpenney etc) They will be fine. I got their on a regular basis and I am more comfortable their than at the Avenues for personal reason. To me, the mall looks the same. The west end looks kinda empty, but it always has. Even growing up we never had a reason to go that end of the mall. I still cant tell you what is down there but Sears. When I moved around the corner from the Aveunes I went a few times and dont see what all the rave is about. Food court is tiny and there no variety. And the mall is started to look very dated. Also, there arent any stores in there that I would even shop in except for blek and maybe jcpenney. I cant even fit anything that they sell in the other stores.
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 02:52:55 AM
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
If downtown were ever to grow again and become the hub of the city, Regency would make an ideal place for a mixed-use commercial/residential development - basically tower blocks of condos over shops with a metro stop so locals can get into town for work.
I have nothing against malls. One of the highlights of my trips back to Jax is visiting the St Johns Towncenter. We recently had a massive new mall open up a few miles from us and I visit it regularly. Malls have their purpose. Especially if you live somewhere where it rains a lot or is really, really hot.
Thanks for responding, and I totally agree with everything that you said. The 'video game arcade' era was good times for places like Regency(filled to capacity), and The Landing(when it had all national retailers). Regency in it's heyday was a great place to be. One thing I noticed when I went there yesterday was the increased security, (due to that incident) that's a good thing. Hopefully Reg will continue to take these baby steps and survive. The key is being unique; Although Chicken Now, and Lunar Golf aren't gonna bring in the 'glory day' droves by no means, it's a small step in the right direction. IMO Reg's food court would be a great spot for a Nathan's (with the other Jax-area one being way at JIA).
Quote from: I-10east on April 16, 2012, 11:53:52 AM
Quote from: Adam W on April 16, 2012, 02:52:55 AM
I grew up near Regency mall and it was my favorite place to go hang out at on Friday nights as a teenager. I worked there in Camelot music when I was in university. I absolutely loved Regency mall. It's a shadow of its former self and the area in general is just a mess. Too much development.
If downtown were ever to grow again and become the hub of the city, Regency would make an ideal place for a mixed-use commercial/residential development - basically tower blocks of condos over shops with a metro stop so locals can get into town for work.
I have nothing against malls. One of the highlights of my trips back to Jax is visiting the St Johns Towncenter. We recently had a massive new mall open up a few miles from us and I visit it regularly. Malls have their purpose. Especially if you live somewhere where it rains a lot or is really, really hot.
Thanks for responding, and I totally agree with everything that you said. The 'video game arcade' era was good times for places like Regency(filled to capacity), and The Landing(when it had all national retailers). Regency in it's heyday was a great place to be. One thing I noticed when I went there yesterday was the increased security, (due to that incident) that's a good thing. Hopefully Reg will continue to take these baby steps and survive. The key is being unique; Although Chicken Now, and Lunar Golf aren't gonna bring in the 'glory day' droves by no means, it's a small step in the right direction. IMO Reg's food court would be a great spot for a Nathan's (with the other Jax-area one being way at JIA).
They did a great job with the food court when they renovated it. It's much nicer than the Avenues was (not sure if that has been renovated since I was there last). I noticed in July that Regency looked a lot cleaner and nicer than the Avenues did, but I chalked that up to less traffic.
I'll always love Regency, though I fear its days are numbered. That said, I hope I'm wrong. I do prefer to shop online, so I can see why malls are struggling.
I agree that it needs a facelift, but regency is far from "Dead" as so many here have claimed.
They still have over 100 stores open and Arlington is the 2nd most dense neighborhood in jax (behind riverside). There is great potential for this area. The owners just need to give people a reason to stop driving by regency on their way to the SJTC (I guess parking isn't one of them)
I heard from one of the western regency mall stores that they mall has asked them to move to the eastern side of the mall (towards JCP). The clerk told me that the mall wasn't going to assist them financially in building out their new location, so once their lease is up they're going to close up shop.
This is 100% hearsay, but has anyone heard anything similar? Are they going to do something with the Belk->Sears side of the mall?
Belk is still pretty nice on the interior. Haven't heard anything about them moving or closing.
Quote from: coredumped on May 20, 2012, 11:16:46 PM
I heard from one of the western regency mall stores that they mall has asked them to move to the eastern side of the mall (towards JCP). The clerk told me that the mall wasn't going to assist them financially in building out their new location, so once their lease is up they're going to close up shop.
This is 100% hearsay, but has anyone heard anything similar? Are they going to do something with the Belk->Sears side of the mall?
Good question. I was just there 3 weeks ago and that western end is in sad shape. It never has been a section of the mall I went to anyways, but I didnt know it was that dead down there. Really once you pass belk there not much down there. We will see what they are up to I guess.
Yep, belk to JCP is pretty busy, I would say there's not too many open spots. The only thing past belk really is sears and a few smaller stores. Sears being the only one that's busy. I don't know how you'd get sears to move though.
The western side has never been busy - even though they playground and santa is always on that side. I think they need to level it, but they must try to not lose sears - that's too big an anchor.
The only store I usually ever go to is JC Penney. When I was there a few weeks ago, the store was busy.
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 09:42:38 AM
Yep, belk to JCP is pretty busy, I would say there's not too many open spots. The only thing past belk really is sears and a few smaller stores. Sears being the only one that's busy. I don't know how you'd get sears to move though.
The western side has never been busy - even though they playground and santa is always on that side. I think they need to level it, but they must try to not lose sears - that's too big an anchor.
Unless they convince Sears to move in the old montgomery ward space. Everything does need to shift.
Which is the old mont. ward space? Is that the consignment shop now?
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 10:04:42 PM
Which is the old mont. ward space? Is that the consignment shop now?
I am pretty sure that is now a "was" .. meaning I believe it is gone.
Quote from: Timkin on May 22, 2012, 10:22:19 PM
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 10:04:42 PM
Which is the old mont. ward space? Is that the consignment shop now?
I am pretty sure that is now a "was" .. meaning I believe it is gone.
YUP its gone. I actually bought several items from there for my new house a few months ago. Went back and they were gone. But I dont blame that on Regency. Alot of people did not even know they were there. I even explained that to them and asked if they had a website and I could not get a straight answer. I pretty much knew they were not gonna be able to hold up.
Bummer... I realized it was there and before I had a chance to go in , it was gone . Wonder if it moved or just folded altogether?
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 21, 2012, 10:54:48 AM
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 09:42:38 AM
Yep, belk to JCP is pretty busy, I would say there's not too many open spots. The only thing past belk really is sears and a few smaller stores. Sears being the only one that's busy. I don't know how you'd get sears to move though.
The western side has never been busy - even though they playground and santa is always on that side. I think they need to level it, but they must try to not lose sears - that's too big an anchor.
Unless they convince Sears to move in the old montgomery ward space. Everything does need to shift.
Sears is too large to fit into the old montgomery ward space. One thing they can do is keep Sears and the east mall as is, demolish and replace the west mall with an outdoor lifestyle component featuring a variety of dining and entertainment options. There are several examples of projects like this across the state and country. One example is Cumberland Mall just north of Atlanta.
(http://weddingmapper.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/photos/14/85/210768_l.jpg)
That's it. Just put in a Cheesecake Factory! :-)
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 22, 2012, 10:30:10 PM
Quote from: Timkin on May 22, 2012, 10:22:19 PM
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 10:04:42 PM
Which is the old mont. ward space? Is that the consignment shop now?
I am pretty sure that is now a "was" .. meaning I believe it is gone.
YUP its gone. I actually bought several items from there for my new house a few months ago. Went back and they were gone. But I dont blame that on Regency. Alot of people did not even know they were there. I even explained that to them and asked if they had a website and I could not get a straight answer. I pretty much knew they were not gonna be able to hold up.
Wait - it was there a few months ago??? I've been going to Regency for years and didn't know there was a MW. Where exactly was it?
There is no MW it closed years ago.
Quote from: coredumped on May 23, 2012, 09:50:27 AM
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 22, 2012, 10:30:10 PM
Quote from: Timkin on May 22, 2012, 10:22:19 PM
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 10:04:42 PM
Which is the old mont. ward space? Is that the consignment shop now?
I am pretty sure that is now a "was" .. meaning I believe it is gone.
YUP its gone. I actually bought several items from there for my new house a few months ago. Went back and they were gone. But I dont blame that on Regency. Alot of people did not even know they were there. I even explained that to them and asked if they had a website and I could not get a straight answer. I pretty much knew they were not gonna be able to hold up.
No the consignment store. MW shut down shop long years ago.
Wait - it was there a few months ago??? I've been going to Regency for years and didn't know there was a MW. Where exactly was it?
Quote from: thelakelander on May 23, 2012, 12:34:24 AM
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 21, 2012, 10:54:48 AM
Quote from: coredumped on May 21, 2012, 09:42:38 AM
Yep, belk to JCP is pretty busy, I would say there's not too many open spots. The only thing past belk really is sears and a few smaller stores. Sears being the only one that's busy. I don't know how you'd get sears to move though.
The western side has never been busy - even though they playground and santa is always on that side. I think they need to level it, but they must try to not lose sears - that's too big an anchor.
Unless they convince Sears to move in the old montgomery ward space. Everything does need to shift.
Sears is too large to fit into the old montgomery ward space. One thing they can do is keep Sears and the east mall as is, demolish and replace the west mall with an outdoor lifestyle component featuring a variety of dining and entertainment options. There are several examples of projects like this across the state and country. One example is Cumberland Mall just north of Atlanta.
(http://weddingmapper.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/photos/14/85/210768_l.jpg)
This is a really fantastic idea.
Wasn't the old MW space originally Dillards before they built their location on the backside of the mall?
I think it was Ivey's and then when Dillards took over they built the newer store. Which is now a Dillards Clearance center.
Quote from: fsujax on May 23, 2012, 10:14:48 AM
I think it was Ivey's and then when Dillards took over they built the newer store. Which is now a Dillards Clearance center.
I am not sure that the Dillards Clearance Center is still open... When at Belk a few days ago , the building looked abandoned.
It wouldn't surprise me if it was closed. The Sears looks pretty dead too every time I drive by the mall.
Quote from: copperfiend on May 23, 2012, 03:27:19 PM
It wouldn't surprise me if it was closed. The Sears looks pretty dead too every time I drive by the mall.
I work at the office building near the theater and the Dillards is still open- it just has weird hours. It closes nightly at 7PM and is closed all day on Monday's.
Quote from: copperfiend on May 23, 2012, 03:27:19 PM
It wouldn't surprise me if it was closed. The Sears looks pretty dead too every time I drive by the mall.
Yeah Sears nationally arent doing to hot. Thats why I was afraid they were going to close the one at Regency when they annouced closings a few months back. To be honest, unless Im getting a battery for my car, I NEVER go in Sears.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 23, 2012, 03:43:50 PM
Yeah Sears nationally arent doing to hot. Thats why I was afraid they were going to close the one at Regency when they annouced closings a few months back. To be honest, unless Im getting a battery for my car, I NEVER go in Sears.
I'm always at sears, I'm a tool junky :) They're not as busy as JCP, but certainly not a ghost town. They also have weird-ish hours. They close at 8 when the rest of the mall closes at 9.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/02/4017669/city-of-charlotte-likely-to-demolish.html (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/02/4017669/city-of-charlotte-likely-to-demolish.html)
Eastland mall in Charlotte is of similiar size and age as Regency. This was the first enclosed mall I ever visited, back in '77 or thereabouts. People drove from all over to shop there, as it was the biggest mall in the two Carolinas for several years, plus the Ice Rink was a unique feature.
The mall and the area around it has gone from thriving to dying in the space of 25-30 years, much like ARlington.
Quote from: vicupstate on May 03, 2013, 05:24:21 AM
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/02/4017669/city-of-charlotte-likely-to-demolish.html (http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/05/02/4017669/city-of-charlotte-likely-to-demolish.html)
Eastland mall in Charlotte is of similiar size and age as Regency. This was the first enclosed mall I ever visited, back in '77 or thereabouts. People drove from all over to shop there, as it was the biggest mall in the two Carolinas for several years, plus the Ice Rink was a unique feature.
The mall and the area around it has gone from thriving to dying in the space of 25-30 years, much like ARlington.
I disagree tha Arlington has "died". Arlington is a huge area and one of the most dense areas of Jacksonville. The Regency area has went down, but that does not account for Arlington as a whole.
IMO saying a mall that's just a little out of date have to get a mandatory drastic renovation is highly overblown, as long as it isn't something horribly outdated like Gateway; In special cases even very outdated malls do okay. Orange Park Mall, and The Oaks Mall in Gainesville are no more 'updated' than Regency, but they are doing just fine. Malls successes have more to do with the surrounding area and expansion, and less to do with a drastic 2013 renovation. Even with Jacksonville Landing's 80's appeal, IMO it would have been fine without a makeover (with expansion) if there was more to do there in the surrounding area (amusement, tourist friendly activities etc.).
Someone schooled me that there was ALOT of stealing going on in Regency's hey day, mainly from Pottsburg and Caravan thieves. Successful shoplifting sprees can definitely be a major detriment to a mall.
Quote from: I-10east on May 03, 2013, 02:28:16 PM
IMO saying a mall that's just a little out of date have to get a mandatory drastic renovation is highly overblown, as long as it isn't something horribly outdated like Gateway; In special cases even very outdated malls do okay. Orange Park Mall, and The Oaks Mall in Gainesville are no more 'updated' than Regency, but they are doing just fine. Malls successes have more to do with the surrounding area and expansion, and less to do with a drastic 2013 renovation. Even with Jacksonville Landing's 80's appeal, IMO it would have been fine without a makeover (with expansion) if there was more to do there in the surrounding area (amusement, tourist friendly activities etc.).
Someone schooled me that there was ALOT of stealing going on in Regency's hey day, mainly from Pottsburg and Caravan thieves. Successful shoplifting sprees can definitely be a major detriment to a mall.
Since I stay on the Westside, I have finally been inside OP mall. Before recently, I had never been there.. Wasnt very impressed. Yes, the have a slew of stores, but all the talk about Regency being outdated, OP mall seems just as outdated as Regency if you ask me. The Avenues is kinda blah as well. Of course, everyone's view on here differs.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on May 03, 2013, 02:40:31 PM
OP mall seems just as outdated as Regency if you ask me.
That's exactly what I was said. I said that OPM is
no more updated than Reg, and it's doing okay (store occupancy-wise, still adding stores etc) opposed to Reg. I can care less about a style of a skylight being outdated or not, how high water fountains spray up, and how many faux trees are in a mall. Everyone cares about which stores and restaurants are in a mall.
I am sure the OP mall is doing very well it is always packed.
^ and that is the key....a mall can get by as "outdated" as long as it is still busy....or in the case of OP, doesn't have much competition
Regency's biggest issue is that it has very few things going for it. Arlington residents who are better off prefer going to the SJTC. The RCMP meant Northsiders didn't have to go over the Dames Point Bridge for most shopping needs.
If Sears did close, is Regency even financially in its current incarnation going forward?
I've seen it floated about to demolish part of the mall and attract IKEA. Is Jacksonville large enough to attract them?
Quote from: FSBA on May 06, 2013, 09:44:34 PM
Regency's biggest issue is that it has very few things going for it. Arlington residents who are better off prefer going to the SJTC. The RCMP meant Northsiders didn't have to go over the Dames Point Bridge for most shopping needs.
If Sears did close, is Regency even financially in its current incarnation going forward?
I've seen it floated about to demolish part of the mall and attract IKEA. Is Jacksonville large enough to attract them?
Jacksonville has already been identified as too small a market for IKEA.
Yes, Jacksonville isn't large enough to attract an IKEA and if it was, I doubt Regency would be their first choice for a location.
Quote from: JeffreyS on May 03, 2013, 04:08:17 PM
I am sure the OP mall is doing very well it is always packed.
It is always packed nad is doing well, doesnt mean its "more updated"
Quote from: FSBA on May 06, 2013, 09:44:34 PM
Regency's biggest issue is that it has very few things going for it. Arlington residents who are better off prefer going to the SJTC. The RCMP meant Northsiders didn't have to go over the Dames Point Bridge for most shopping needs.
If Sears did close, is Regency even financially in its current incarnation going forward?
I've seen it floated about to demolish part of the mall and attract IKEA. Is Jacksonville large enough to attract them?
From the Jax Biz Journal in August:
QuoteIKEA expands in South Florida, but when will it come to Jacksonville?
The South Florida Business Journal’s report that IKEA USA will build a second store in the Miami area â€" 40 miles from an existing store â€" begged the question: When will the Swedish home goods mega-retailer open a Jacksonville store?
For Swedish meatball and lingonberry enthusiasts, the answer is unfortunate: Not any time soon.
Joseph Roth, a spokesman for IKEA USA, said he noticed posts on Facebook asking “What about Jacksonville?†when the Miami plans were announced.
“Basically it comes down to population size, and you tend to need approx 2 million people within a 40 to 60-mile radius or trade area,†Roth said. “And you guys aren’t there yet.â€
That’s the biggest deciding factor in the store’s expansion plans.
“If you don’t have population size, you don’t really get to the second point,†he said. “It’s basically our stores are so large, they’re very expensive to build and need lots of customers to support them.â€
There will now be four IKEA stores between Orlando and Miami: IKEA Orlando, IKEA Tampa, IKEA Sunrise, which is north of Miami, and the new IKEA Miami, to be built in Sweetwater.
“We get inquiries from developers and brokers all the time from Jacksonville, and they say, ‘What can we do?’†Roth said. “Well, double your population. It’s nothing personal. We recognize we have many customers up there, but not enough to support a large IKEA store.â€
Was down in Palm Beach this weekend, noticed they have begun demolition on the old Palm Beach Mall, to make way for some new major redevelopment. That mall basically died off except for the JC Penney.
So I'm a little late on the IKEA. But the general idea is the same. Regency has to attract something new to the Jacksonville market or atleast not present at SJTC or RCMP.
Perhaps Regency needs to move towards more of a mix of uses and not strictly retail?
Quote from: thelakelander on May 07, 2013, 02:32:22 PM
Perhaps Regency needs to move towards more of a mix of uses and not strictly retail?
I came to that conclusion a few months ago. As more and more retailers are choosing SJTC and RCMP and with an office market a few miles up the road experiencing the type of low vacancy rates (particularly among users that require large spaces) that would normally signal a return of build to suit construction, maybe the future of Regency is less lifestyle center and more commercial oriented.
But something less like Kendall Town and more like Crestview Station (obviously without rail, but using that as an example to show the types of users... which is not just a mall but with a mix of commercial space and not as reliant on housing- like Kendall Town is, which still has entitlements for close to, I believe, 500 single family homesites)
What would you all think about turning Regency in to an outlet mall? That could mean converting/renovating/reconfiguring the existing space - or raising it and starting from scratch...more of an outdoor lifestyle center concept, but with outlet shops. Jacksonville is a great big city to not have a single outlet mall...currently driving 45 minutes to St. Augustine just to visit J.Crew Factory Store is getting old!
The Bay Area is more than twice our size and I think the closest outlet mall is in Manatee County on I-75. To be honest, I'm not sure there's a market for plus million square foot outlet mall in a metropolitan area the size of Jax's (considering there are two already in St. Augustine). Also, would switching to an outlet format require anchors like Sears, JCPenney and Belk to be booted?
Quote from: thelakelander on May 07, 2013, 04:42:20 PM
To be honest, I'm not sure there's a market for plus million square foot outlet mall in a metropolitan area the size of Jax's (considering there are two already in St. Augustine). Also, would switching to an outlet format require anchors like Sears, JCPenney and Belk to be booted?
Perhaps something along the idea of a Mills Mall, like Opry Mills in Nashville or Katy Mills in Katy, TX.
www.simon.com/mall/opry-mills (http://www.simon.com/mall/opry-mills)
A hybrid of sorts with some stores outlet, some not. I would think the anchors would be an asset and be invited to stay if they desired to be a part of it.
Again, some of the mall could be demolished if it's too big and the land used for another purpose.
Just a thought.
Forgive my ignorance - I'm not a commercial developer - but why would a city the size of Jacksonville not be able to support an outlet mall?
When I was in Pennsylvania, big outlet stores were around, even in not so big areas. Given they pool off the New Yorkers visiting, but we have the people. I think it would work fine.
Just a quick update on the Regency Square area. There is activity of new homes being built on the northwest side of the mall. Here is the link to the information - http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540080
Also one of the old closed restaurants is showing signs of new life. - http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=539387.
There must be some reorganization of the mall itself that would benefit Arlington as a whole. The shops that are outside of the mall remain busy. Considering the amount of traffic on Arlington Expy and Atlantic Blvd, there should be plenty of support for a revamp of this shopping district.
I like the idea of making it an outlet mall. I am thinking in line with the Dolphin Mall in Miami. Does anyone know someone in management of the mall that we could suggest this to?
Quote from: JECJAX on August 13, 2013, 02:07:35 PM
Just a quick update on the Regency Square area. There is activity of new homes being built on the northwest side of the mall. Here is the link to the information - http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=540080
Also one of the old closed restaurants is showing signs of new life. - http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=539387.
There must be some reorganization of the mall itself that would benefit Arlington as a whole. The shops that are outside of the mall remain busy. Considering the amount of traffic on Arlington Expy and Atlantic Blvd, there should be plenty of support for a revamp of this shopping district.
This is good stuff. That lot already being cleared is such a great location to the everything expressway, downtown, stadium, hopefully-better-regency-mall, and even 295. I'm ready to see Arlington on the comeback. It's too convenient to everything for it to fall in to a really bad state.
Still a long way to go, but this might be the turning point. As I've said before, Arlington has tons of people living in it that drive by Regency to go to SJTC. Regency is missing out big time.
Well it's for sale now...
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2013/08/13/new-york-firm-marketing-regency-square.html
It's amazing how well all of these Jax malls are doing outside of Regency. I went to The Avenues a couple of days ago on a weekday afternoon, and that place was freakin' packed! Orange Park Mall, SJTC, and RCMP are also doing well. I really hope that something can be done with Reg. Crime (like constant thievery, a policeman getting shot chasing a thief, etc) from that surrounding area is what brought Reg down.
Nice to see the possibility for it to be redeveloped by a new mind. Is it me or are lot of properties being brought to market in Jax in the past month?
Also, from article linked above ... Is this really true?
QuoteThe mall, built in 1971, is 71 percent occupied, according to the marketing materials.
Quote from: JayBird on August 13, 2013, 06:30:17 PM
Nice to see the possibility for it to be redeveloped by a new mind. Is it me or are lot of properties being brought to market in Jax in the past month?
Also, from article linked above ... Is this really true?
QuoteThe mall, built in 1971, is 71 percent occupied, according to the marketing materials.
It's been a few months since I was in Regency Square, but I find it very hard to believe that it is 71% occupied.
71% if you include the anchor stores...
Quote from: I-10east on August 13, 2013, 05:23:23 PM
It's amazing how well all of these Jax malls are doing outside of Regency. I went to The Avenues a couple of days ago on a weekday afternoon, and that place was freakin' packed! Orange Park Mall, SJTC, and RCMP are also doing well. I really hope that something can be done with Reg. Crime (like constant thievery, a policeman getting shot chasing a thief, etc) from that surrounding area is what brought Reg down.
Just a little fun fact, there's more crime at the town center than regency.
Quote from: thelakelander on August 13, 2013, 08:45:34 PM
71% if you include the anchor stores...
I wonder if they're including the old Montgomery Ward area. Its not even listed on any floor maps anymore. Either way the mall is still going down. I found this BizJournal article (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/02/08/story2.html?page=all (http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/02/08/story2.html?page=all)) from Feb. 2010 reports an 80% occupancy rate.
Whoever buys the place has to have a vision and alot of commitment.
Quote from: FSBA on August 13, 2013, 09:58:31 PM
Whoever buys the place has to have a vision and alot of commitment.
Very true, key point
Quote from: I-10east on August 13, 2013, 05:23:23 PM
It's amazing how well all of these Jax malls are doing outside of Regency. I went to The Avenues a couple of days ago on a weekday afternoon, and that place was freakin' packed! Orange Park Mall, SJTC, and RCMP are also doing well. I really hope that something can be done with Reg. Crime (like constant thievery, a policeman getting shot chasing a thief, etc) from that surrounding area is what brought Reg down.
Maybe its just me, But Im not to high on indoor Malls. I stay 5 minutes from OP now so I visit the OP mall quite often and besides there being alot of people there, its just Blah to me. The avenues included. No mall in Jax gives me a WOW factor, they just exist, IMO.
Quote from: coredumped on August 13, 2013, 09:26:48 PMJust a little fun fact, there's more crime at the town center than regency.
Yeah, that's not too surprising given the emptiness of Regency. With it's major reduction of stores to steal from in contrast to it's 'glory' days, combined with the decent security/police esp in the East Mall. Crime at Reg's peak compared to SJTC's highest is no contest. Believe me, I'm not trying to go all out to diss Regency, I want Regency to succeed. Even though it's in the doldrums right now, I try to make it out there atleast once a month.
Quote from: duvaldude08 on August 14, 2013, 11:45:33 AM
Maybe its just me, But Im not to high on indoor Malls. I stay 5 minutes from OP now so I visit the OP mall quite often and besides there being alot of people there, its just Blah to me. The avenues included. No mall in Jax gives me a WOW factor, they just exist, IMO.
The only mall that wowed me was the Mall of America in Minnesota; That's mainly due to it's awesome indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe. I guess the Mall of Millenia in Orlando supposed to be the 'Wow mall' or whatever, I thought that it was just okay. I'm not a big high fashion guy to spend all of my money on an ugly outfit. SJTC, and St Auggie has alot of that stuff too. The farthest I'd go with high fashion is a decent priced wallet once in a blue moon.
Quote from: I-10east on August 14, 2013, 12:02:44 PM
Quote from: duvaldude08 on August 14, 2013, 11:45:33 AM
Maybe its just me, But Im not to high on indoor Malls. I stay 5 minutes from OP now so I visit the OP mall quite often and besides there being alot of people there, its just Blah to me. The avenues included. No mall in Jax gives me a WOW factor, they just exist, IMO.
The only mall that wowed me was the Mall of America in Minnesota; That's mainly due to it's awesome indoor theme park, Nickelodeon Universe. I guess the Mall of Millenia in Orlando supposed to be the 'Wow mall' or whatever, I thought that it was just okay. I'm not a big high fashion guy to spend all of my money on an ugly outfit. SJTC, and St Auggie has alot of that stuff too. The farthest I'd go with high fashion is a decent priced wallet once in a blue moon.
I mostly an online shopper now a days. Lets stress, less people, bigger selection. I wear purchase big and tall clothes, which is much easier to find online. I am 44x34 and that is an odd size. Most stores regular sizes stop at 42, and the "big" sizes start at 48. So I usually get annoyed trying to shop in person. LOL
^^^Online is the way to go. :)
The Jax Business Journal is reporting that the Regency Mall has been sold to Rockwood Real Estate Advisors based in New York City.
I think Rockwood is more of a broker or selling agent. The buyer was not named in the article.
I'm away from the computer but the Jax Daily Record has a detailed story on this. Evidently, this group also purchased Desoto Square in Bradenton a year ago. So far, only one new tenant has moved in. Hopefully, Regency will have better luck.
Here ya go:
QuoteA New York-based venture of Mason Asset Management Inc. and Namdar Realty Group LLC has a contract to buy the Regency Square Mall, one of the area's first major regional shopping centers but one that has experienced tough times.
Mason and Namdar, both based in Great Neck, N.Y., are expected to complete the purchase as soon as this week, according to sources who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the deal.
Igal Namdar, president of Namdar Realty, confirmed the deal Monday. Asked if Mason and Namdar had a contract to buy Regency Square Mall, Namdar responded: "That is correct."
QuotePlans for Regency might mirror those for DeSoto Square in Manatee County.
In November 2012, the Bradenton.com news website reported that Mason Asset Management acquired Manatee County's only indoor shopping mall for about $25 million from Simon Property Group Inc.
At the height of the real estate boom in 2004, DeSoto Square was valued at $80.2 million, property records show.
The news site said Mason bought the mall with plans to restore traffic at the aging shopping center with a facelift and heightened security.
QuoteHow did Nassim do?
Last November, a year after the purchase, the HeraldTribune.com site said tenants remained hard to come by, a cross fit gym was the only new business to open and there was a question whether Macy's would leave once the Mall at University Town Center opened this year. Macy's is now listed on the new mall's website.
Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542218
^ So I am assuming the business model for Rockwood is to buy distressed properties, suck what they can out of them, and wait for area to improve and a fat wallet developer to come calling?
Why was my post edited?
We're trying to cut down on copying and pasting full length articles from other media sites. We've been fielding a few complaints from some places in town.
Unless, given permission by the original source, the best thing to do when sharing articles from other sources is probably to post a few sentences to a paragraph or so and include a link back to the full article.
Thanks for the reply.
Back on topic - after all this news now I wonder what will happen with the plan/rumor about tearing part of the mall down.
Quote from: coredumped on February 12, 2014, 08:50:23 AM
Thanks for the reply.
Back on topic - after all this news now I wonder what will happen with the plan/rumor about tearing part of the mall down.
Yeah same here. I think it would be ideal to shrink it, and completely renovate it. Whatever they do I hope its sucessful. I always tell people I grew up with Regency and would hate to see it go.
A little reading on Mason's strategy for DeSoto Square Mall:
QuoteBRADENTON — The buyer of DeSoto Square mall plans to renovate the facility into a discount oriented shopping center, according to a commercial retail broker familiar with the deal.
QuoteThe undisclosed buyer has intentions to raze several walls to give the facility an open feel, Berman said. The firm also will work to inject more discount stores like Costco, Big Lots, Tuesday Morning, and Sears Outlet Appliance Center.
DeSoto's anchor tenants now include Macy's, JC Penney and Sears.
Full article: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/06/05/4066071_buyer-for-desoto-square-mall-looking.html
Costco is a discount store?
In Sarasota it is. That article mentioning Costco must have been in reference to a Costco opening up in the old Dillard's spot at Sarasota Square Mall.
QuoteAt least one idea that seems to have gained traction involves converting DeSoto Square into a more discount-oriented retail center.
"The Bradenton area has its own demographic around that mall," Seidel said. "There are people there that won't be lured by the bigger malls and would rather go to a discount center closer to their home."
Hybrid centers have become more popular in recent years as many malls grappled with downturn-inspired vacancies and few expanding retail ventures.
In this region, at Westfield's Sarasota Square Mall, Costo Warehouse Corp. replaced a shuttered Dillard's department store that had closed during the Great Recession. The August debut of the wholesale food, electronics and home goods store inside an enclosed mall was well received, and has since breathed new life into what was eroding into a second-tier mall.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121219/ARTICLE/312199989?p=3&tc=pg
Man, I'm getting old. I remember eating at Morrison's in Desoto Square and when Sarasota Square was a first-tier mall.
So, Regency sold for pennies on a dollar. The buyer also purchased the Dillard's store, which was a separate piece of property.
QuoteRegency Square Mall sells for $13M, had taxable value of $34.6M
By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor
A New York-based venture of Mason Asset Management Inc. and Namdar Realty Group LLC bought Regency Square Mall for $13 million, about a third of its taxable value.
The deed was signed Friday and recorded this morning with the Duval County Clerk of Court.
Mason and Namdar are based in Great Neck, N.Y., and invest in aging shopping centers that have suffered declines in occupancy and prestige.
Documents show the group bought 12 parcels at the 9501 Arlington Expressway mall that were valued at almost $34.6 million for tax purposes in 2013.
Regency Mall Realty LLC, Regency CH LLC and Regency Nassim LLC, partnerships formed by the venture, bought the properties from GGP Regency Square LLC.
Sears and Dillard's own their stores, but it appears Dillard's was part of the sale. Deed documents with the sale show that the Dillard's store is included in the acquisition.
The Sears store was not immediately identifiable as one of the 12 properties, and Sears issued a statement last week that an expected Regency Square sale "has no impact on Sears. We continue to serve our members and customers at Regency Square, and remain committed to the Jacksonville community."
Full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542291
Pretty much confirms Dillards is leaving the mall once Sleiman's development is built.
If the plan is to turn Regency into an outlet mall, what stores would they attract?
JBJ and others are reporting Dillard's wasn't part of the sale.
But, am I the only one who thinks a redeveloped retail mall will not work? Maybe if it included a mix of apartments and offices as well.
Quote from: FSBA on February 20, 2014, 02:49:09 PM
Pretty much confirms Dillards is leaving the mall once Sleiman's development is built.
Wasn't Sleiman's development rumored to have a Belk, not Dillards? I'm thinking of the one down atlantic near kernan.
Yes. Belk is most likely headed to Sleiman's development when that store is completed.
QuoteBut, am I the only one who thinks a redeveloped retail mall will not work? Maybe if it included a mix of apartments and offices as well.
Apartments and offices come once you have a thriving space. Look at Town Center. The apartments and offices are popping up around TC due to the traffic there. RC has to grow and do something to get people back to the property, before other developers add more to the area.
A Jax Biz Journal article about the challenges Regency faces going forward:
QuoteThe New York-based buyers of the Regency Square Mall are known for their ability to reposition struggling retail properties.
Repositioning Regency might task that ability to the fullest.
A joint venture of Nadmar Realty and Mason Asset Management, both based in Great Neck, N.Y., paid $13 million for 1 million square feet of enclosed mall space. The deal didn't include the anchor boxes for Sear's and Dillard's, which are owned by those retailers.
The deal, at about $13 per square foot, "on the surface seems like a very attractive price," said Chris Morgan, principal at Cantrell & Morgan Inc. in Jacksonville.
But there are other factors at play, including newer retail centers and the demographics of the surrounding area, that make a redevelopment or repositioning difficult at any price point.
Full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/02/20/challenges-ahead-for-regency-square.html
Quote from: mtraininjax on February 20, 2014, 06:04:50 PM
QuoteBut, am I the only one who thinks a redeveloped retail mall will not work? Maybe if it included a mix of apartments and offices as well.
Apartments and offices come once you have a thriving space. Look at Town Center. The apartments and offices are popping up around TC due to the traffic there. RC has to grow and do something to get people back to the property, before other developers add more to the area.
Well SJTC filled a need for the burgeoning southside ... So I guess the real question is if there is really a need for a large mall at regency? With River City, Avenues, and SJTC not to mention a variety of retail stores along Atlantic, Beach and the Kendall-Treadnick establishments ... It appears any more retail will just hurt the existing places. With such a large space, close to beaches and downtown, it's a shame it can't be developed into a college campus, the highly sought after (by someone because it always comes up) amusement park, or a dense urban style residential village ... Something other than the Regency Mall. After all, most people cringe just hearing Regency as if the entire neighborhood has suffered just because of this mall.
SJTC filled a need for the region. The Southside can't support SJTC by itself. Many of the retailers they signed are new to NE Florida and SE Georgia. Unfortunately, for Regency, just about every segment of the market is well covered....even Arlington. Even if they go discount or cheap, they'll just be pulling places like Bells Outlet, TJMaxx, Marshalls and Ross from nearby strip malls, leaving them with higher vacancies.
I think the most important thing for Regency at this point is to try and keep as many of the existing anchors there as possible and rebuild/infill around them (although Belk appears to be leaving). Even then, what's going on with Sears and JCPenney is beyond their control. Both chains already have one foot on the banana peel and are a slip away from disappearing altogether.
There's also some local precedence with the transitioning of a traditional mall into a discount theme. This was done with Philips Mall and it didn't work out so well. Gateway was forced to transition from a regional mall to more of a neighborhood focus when all it's anchors abruptly abandoned it in the early 1990s. That hasn't worked out so well either.
Quote from: JayBird on February 20, 2014, 07:16:37 PM
it's a shame it can't be developed into a college campus, the highly sought after (by someone because it always comes up) amusement park
*googles "metrojacksonville regency amusement park" six times a day, everyday, from parents basement*
YES THAT! Make it "Florida's Rollercoaster Capitol!" ;)
At the low price they bought it for, hopefully they can demolish and start over.
^That doesn't appear to be their business model. It looks like they'll try to renovate and go after working class retailers like they've attempted to do with Bradenton's Desoto Square Mall. One of my close college classmates works for the City of Bradenton. Since Desoto Square doesn't appear to have a website now, I may check with him to get his opinion on what the buyer has done with that mall.
Quote from: vicupstate on February 21, 2014, 09:14:49 AM
At the low price they bought it for, hopefully they can demolish and start over.
Regency is in far too good of shape to demolish. It could use some updating (maybe more skylights and new floors) but the structure is in really good shape.
^^^I agree. I would hate to see it demoed.
Yeah. Gateway is the one that needs to be demolished and rebuilt as something else. Anyway, here's a look into the new owner's plans for the mall:
QuoteRegency Square buyer to add tenants to Arlington mall
By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor
Regency Square Mall's new owner intends to reposition the Arlington shopping center's tenants to the east side of the mall and is considering redevelopment options for the largely vacant west side of the mall.
The ownership group, which bought the mall for $13 million last week, also is bringing in some new tenants in the next few weeks.
"We feel that the east mall will remain a vibrant retail shopping area and we are exploring all options for the west mall," said Elliot Nassim, president of Mason Asset Management Inc., a partner in the ownership group.
"We are very excited to have bought this property and to be involved with the project. We already have several tenants that have expressed interest and we are negotiating with them," he said late Thursday.
full article: http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542298
They are going to give the mall a facelift, add more security, a new children's play area and move tenants on the west side of the mall to the east side.
Quote from: coredumped on February 21, 2014, 10:51:12 AM
Quote from: vicupstate on February 21, 2014, 09:14:49 AM
At the low price they bought it for, hopefully they can demolish and start over.
Regency is in far too good of shape to demolish. It could use some updating (maybe more skylights and new floors) but the structure is in really good shape.
The Greenville (SC) Mall was an enclosed mall that was essentially rebuilt from the ground up and re positioned to be a more upscale mall in the late '90's. It never took off primarily because it was too close to a larger mall. Less than a decade after the complete re-build, it was 75% razed. A few years later (post-crash), it was 100% razed. It is now a smaller version of SJTC. The new owner paid a lot more than $13 SF too.
My guess is this new owner will raze the west side now and within 5 years do the same to the East side, at least the 'mall corridor' parts. The East side 'anchors might remain with access simply reconfigured to 'post-enclosed' status.
Quote from: vicupstate on February 21, 2014, 12:33:30 PM
Quote from: coredumped on February 21, 2014, 10:51:12 AM
Quote from: vicupstate on February 21, 2014, 09:14:49 AM
At the low price they bought it for, hopefully they can demolish and start over.
Regency is in far too good of shape to demolish. It could use some updating (maybe more skylights and new floors) but the structure is in really good shape.
The Greenville (SC) Mall was an enclosed mall that was essentially rebuilt from the ground up and re positioned to be a more upscale mall in the late '90's. It never took off primarily because it was too close to a larger mall. Less than a decade after the complete re-build, it was 75% razed. A few years later (post-crash), it was 100% razed. It is now a smaller version of SJTC. The new owner paid a lot more than $13 SF too.
My guess is this new owner will raze the west side now and within 5 years do the same to the East side, at least the 'mall corridor' parts. The East side 'anchors might remain with access simply reconfigured to 'post-enclosed' status.
I would have to disagree. The westside of the mall has been an issues for atleast a decade or more really. The center and east side of the mall has always been active.
But what will the Belk's defection do to the middle? That would certainly make it even more palatable to level everything between the then-empty Belk's and Sears. With Sears owning their building, relocating them to the Belk's site probably wouldn't happen.
That's a big question mark. Out of all of the anchors, Belk seems the most financially solid and the location is the heart of the mall. If they can't line that space up with a decent anchor or draw, it will have a huge negative impact on the east mall.
Quote from: Charles Hunter on February 21, 2014, 05:47:35 PM
But what will the Belk's defection do to the middle? That would certainly make it even more palatable to level everything between the then-empty Belk's and Sears. With Sears owning their building, relocating them to the Belk's site probably wouldn't happen.
Unless you know something I (we?) don't know, there's been no announcement of Belk to leave Regency. They haven't said anything, and I wish they would, but as of now they haven't said anything about leaving. Sears has said they're committed to Regency, Belk might be waiting to see what the new owners plans are.
Wasn't there a rumor they were moving out to Sleiman-land at Kernan?
I heard that they're opening one at Kernan, but as far I know they haven't announced anything with the Regency property.
Quote from: coredumped on February 21, 2014, 10:03:53 PM
Unless you know something I (we?) don't know, there's been no announcement of Belk to leave Regency.
well they are building a new store about 3 miles away...what does that tell you?
Quote from: tufsu1 on February 21, 2014, 10:29:46 PM
well they are building a new store about 3 miles away...what does that tell you?
Nothing? There's a best buy 6 miles away and the Regency one does well and has no plans to close.
There's another Belk six miles away as well. It will be really surprising if Belk decides to operate two full line department stores that close to one another in a market that's not exactly booming.
City has had 'positive' first talks with new owners of Regency Square Mall
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=542351
Thanks for posting this lake.
I'm very excited to see what happens. 2 good quotes from the article:
Quote"It was one of the most prominent malls in the Southeast, the area around it is stable, you have a lot of synergy, you have great visibility," Crawford said.
Great point, Arlington is a very stable neighborhood.
QuoteIn general, he said, Regency has "great access, great parking, great bones around it, great opportunity."
Location location location! This is such a prime piece of real estate, it just needs a few things to go it's way. There's so many people that live in the area that drive by it every day. They just need to figure out how to get people off the connector or the expressway and in to the parking lot.
Looking forward to what comes next!
Another mall from the Regency era meets the end. I used to frequent this mall in the late 1980's and it was a little worn at the edges back then.
Per the St Louis Post Dispatch:
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/want-to-buy-the-old-crestwood-plaza-bidding-starts-at/article_4acc97cf-02f2-5945-94d6-0832c75b9a77.html (http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/want-to-buy-the-old-crestwood-plaza-bidding-starts-at/article_4acc97cf-02f2-5945-94d6-0832c75b9a77.html)
Want to buy the old Crestwood Plaza? Bidding starts at $1 million
(http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/b9/fb94c1c0-0575-57bd-8094-11f898891c86/52960f45a7a8f.preview-620.jpg)
A million dollars is the minimum starting bid for Crestwood Court, the defunct shopping mall whose owners hope to sell through an online auction.
The auction begins April 21 and concludes April 23.
Crestwood's final store, a LensCrafters, closed last fall. Back in the day, when it called itself Crestwood Plaza, the mall had scores of tenants, including outposts of major department stores. "Crestwood Plaza, where the big stores are," was the well-known ad slogan.
After failing to get tax incentives last year to overhaul Crestwood Court, its owners dropped redevelopment plans for what was the St. Louis area's first regional mall and decided to offer the place for sale.
Under a new owner, the defunct mall, which opened in 1957, would likely be razed.
(http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/stltoday.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/f/ee/fee412c1-0495-5c62-a261-710cc48ee610/52960fa01e01a.preview-620.jpg)
CBRE, the commercial real state firm marketing the 47-acre Watson Road site, has said the "highest and best use" for the property would be an owner-occupier tear-down and rebuild.
Chicago-based Centrum Partners acquired the struggling property in 2008 for about $17.5 million. With the mall's tenants dwindling, Centrum sought to tear down most of the existing structure and convert it to new retail and entertainment uses. Some of the initial plans for the proposed entertainment district included a bowling alley, restaurants and a venue for live performances.
Including the purchase price, Centrum and co-owner Angelo, Gordon & Co., a New York-based hedge fund, said they invested $20 million in the property readying it for a revival.
But Crestwood officials balked at approving $34 million in tax-increment financing and new sales taxes for a $124 million redevelopment. Some Crestwood residents and officials said they were concerned that new tenants would hurt other area businesses. Foes also objected to the amount of the public subsidy request.
Quote from: coredumped on February 28, 2014, 02:45:26 PM
Thanks for posting this lake.
I'm very excited to see what happens. 2 good quotes from the article:
Quote"It was one of the most prominent malls in the Southeast, the area around it is stable, you have a lot of synergy, you have great visibility," Crawford said.
Great point, Arlington is a very stable neighborhood.
QuoteIn general, he said, Regency has "great access, great parking, great bones around it, great opportunity."
Location location location! This is such a prime piece of real estate, it just needs a few things to go it's way. There's so many people that live in the area that drive by it every day. They just need to figure out how to get people off the connector or the expressway and in to the parking lot.
Looking forward to what comes next!
Very true. I popped in myself over the weekend. I was in the area going out to eat with a friend. I stopped in K & G across the street and couldn't find what I needed, so I went over to Belk at Regency. Its in a VERY convenient location and plus all the things you mentioned. It just needs to be redeveloped. Hope things go well.
Old malls don't die, they get re-invented.
Here is the story of a Regency era mall (Midtown Plaza) in Rochester, NY. You will love the insights into "suburban living" as far back as 1963. The parallels to greater Jacksonville in this video are pretty funny.
http://www.youtube.com/v/LtG2CfAwMGE
And the town simply reinvented the Plaza into new urban purpose. (This was considered the first urban mall)
They stripped the mall down to its roots, took down the old facades and are building a new mixed use development.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/MidtownPlazaRemnants.JPG/640px-MidtownPlazaRemnants.JPG)
And when they are done, it will become the "Tower at Midtown"
(http://www.buckprop.com/wp-content/uploads/North-West-Render_With-Site-Copy.jpg)
http://www.thetoweratmidtown.com/ (http://www.thetoweratmidtown.com/)
I could easily see the Regency property being stripped the bones, redeveloped as mixed use with a super nice multi-modal terminal with some big box retail surrounding it.
Nice to see Rochester do something with that mall. I was up there in 2008 and it was already dead. Here are a few pics:
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-6777-p1120967.JPG)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-6803-p1120973.JPG)
(http://www.metrojacksonville.com/photos/thumbs/lrg-6782-p1120961.JPG)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-oct-elements-of-urbanism-rochester
Thanks Lake,
I was actually just starting a search to see if you had done an "urbanism" story on Rochester.
Thanks for the link.
It's been six years since I did a good trip through the Northeast. While I'm not planning to hit Upstate NY this year, I'll probably hit Baltimore, Wilmington, Philly, NYC and perhaps Boston in July.
I have family history in upstate NY (Rochester & Syracuse) so I love reading these stories about them in the post War era as that is when they lived there and they were bustling towns.
If you do stop in Baltimore, my ancestor was a city planner and was commissioned to lay out the city square. There is supposed to be a bottle of wine he buried on the square to celebrate the event. In return for his work a town south of Baltimore was named after him. (Shipley, MD)
I too have a trip planned up there.
Quote from: spuwho on April 14, 2014, 09:06:16 PM
I too have a trip planned up there.
When are we gonna start the annual Metrojacksonville road trip? A hands-on "learning from" series?
Quote from: ProjectMaximus on April 14, 2014, 11:20:19 PM
Quote from: spuwho on April 14, 2014, 09:06:16 PM
I too have a trip planned up there.
When are we gonna start the annual Metrojacksonville road trip? A hands-on "learning from" series?
Do what our Chamber and City Council leaders do every year for "fact finding"?
Shall MJ charter it's own bus and make it a traveling urbanism tour?
Hire Stephen to drive the bus while Lake points out the good, bad & ugly in urban planning? Ock can come and point out the rail/transit issues. Noone can come and tell where the kayaking is. Finehoe can give us a rundown on the repressive political scene. We can put Ron Chamblin and Not Now up in the front seats to keep Stephen occupied for the whole trip. I-10 can sit in the back of the bus so he won't upset the driver with any pro suburban talk.
BridgeTroll, Lunican, tfusu and Tachalale can sit in the middle and discuss Stephens driving skills and decide if Nat Ford should hire him as a consultant.
Sounds like a fun trip.
Quote from: spuwho on April 15, 2014, 09:52:59 AM
BridgeTroll, Lunican, tfusu and Tachalale can sit in the middle and discuss Stephens driving skills and decide if Nat Ford should hire him as a consultant.
This sounds like fun...as long as the bus is equipped with seat belts ;)
I just want Stephen and mtrain to room together. That would be fun.
Regency Square Mall owners could be gearing up for a renovation.
www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/05/07/with-10m-mortgage-regency-square-owners-appear-to.html
Quote from: I-10east on May 12, 2014, 05:07:01 PM
Regency Square Mall owners could be gearing up for a renovation.
www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2014/05/07/with-10m-mortgage-regency-square-owners-appear-to.html
Since these guys haven't shown a large appetite for risk in their other deals, I would suspect that they have a tenant(s) that wants to go there. Some have suggested this is the financing they need for a new Macy's (to take over the Belk)and to demolish the west end.
Time will tell.
Regency Square Mall is seeking tenants. There's not much additional information other than that. Given that RSM is just across the road from the graveyard (sort of speak) it behooves them to bring in as many NEW TO JAX franchises as possible. The normal status quo of restaurants and stores that are already all over Jax won't be enough. I personally don't think that a typical Macy's is a big deal, but I have to be a fool to not realize that a RSM Macy's would be HUGE for Regency.
How about average restaurants around the country (and even in places like Gainesville) that Jax don't even have currently like Red Robin, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Boston Market(even though BM are usually outparcels). I feverishly want to see Regency succeed!!!
www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=543179
Quote from: I-10east on June 12, 2014, 09:03:01 PM
How about average restaurants around the country (and even in places like Gainesville) that Jax don't even have currently like Red Robin, Romano's Macaroni Grill, Boston Market(even though BM are usually outparcels). I feverishly want to see Regency succeed!!!
I'm with ya, I-10! I think there are a ton of retailers, that better fit the demographic, that are not anywhere to be found in the RSM or the area in general. And all those restaurants too... I also really want to see RSM succeed! I go there at least every other weekend to grab a Boba Tea and just walk through, imagining all that it could be. It's really a nice mall, it just needs an aggressive, out-of-the-box tenant acquisition strategy; heavy creative marketing efforts; and a complete re-branding initiative.
How about some local restaurants - European Street or Loop or a food truck going brick/mortar
^^^That will work to. Yesterday, I went to 'My Life Pizza' out in Oakleaf Town Center, which is an example of a Mom & Pop amongst franchise restaurants. Pretty damn good slice.
It's awesome to finally hear some good news for Regency Sq. Those of us that live close by and work in the area see other surround businesses thrive and have for years. A major tenant would also spur new growth and help revitalize the entire area. The new Lennar development (Mill Creek at Kendall Town) just northwest of the mall appears to have sold most of the homes which is another positive for the area. The infrastructure and location only call for revitalization !
I love that area, have lived out in that general neighborhood for twenty-five years. I remember when RS was in its heyday. I think it was at bottom some years back and is recovering (and changing) now. I think the mix of stores and restaurants will be completely different as they rebuild it, but it will still be good. They should work with the community and survey its tastes.
I think the Best Bets has been good for the neighborhood, although I was apprehensive at first. Always busy, no trouble that I have ever heard of.
Go Regency!
I would love for a Macy's to go into RSM! I think it would be a great shot in the arm, get that marketing machine rolling and bring a new variety of stores that we don't have in Jacksonville. While I like SJTC, I hate the parking and some days, it's just too hot to walk around store to store.
To be honest, I'd be real surprised if a chain like Macy's, Red Robin, or Romano's Macaroni Grill would head to Regency before SJTC or another location/development within the region. That's not the type of tenants Mason Asset's redevelopment strategies tend to focus on or pull to struggling shopping centers.
If you want to see Mason in work, just check out DeSoto Square Mall in Bradenton, another struggling mall they acquired recently. I highly suspect, they'll attempt to fill Regency's empty spaces with the same level of tenants:
QuoteMANATEE -- Hudson's Furniture Showroom is poised to take over the shuttered Dillard's at DeSoto Square mall.
Hudson's signed a 10-year lease for the 100,000-square-foot space, according to property records. It includes six renewal options for five years each, according to the lease. Hudson's also has a right to buy the space outright during the first five years.
QuoteThe 634,000-square-foot mall has undergone many changes since 2009, when Dillard's announced its closure. During the same year, Old Navy, Foot Locker and Waldenbooks closed. Under ownership of New York-based Mason Asset Management since 2012, the mall has leased the former 11,000-square-foot Boater's World by the food court to a CrossFit Havoc gym to wrap up one of its largest vacancies, while other spaces have been filled with bargain accessory stores.
The mall still includes anchors J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears.
Mason Asset Management has picked up other malls recently that are struggling, including a contract to buy the Regency Mall in Jacksonville, as well as a mall similar to DeSoto Square, the Chambersburg Mall in Scotland, Pa., which features small anchor tenants and low foot traffic after larger competitors moved in nearby.
Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2014/02/15/4993116/hudsons-furniture-to-take-over.html#storylink=cpy
Looks like mama regency is getting some life. Looks to mix a huge mix of teanets. Retail and non retail. We will see how it all works out. I do believe being diverse is a good move in that area also.
Quote
Regency Square Mall adding tenants: 'We're changing every day'
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James Kramer is the general manager and Sondra Anderson is the administrative assistant at Regency Square Mall.
Thursday, June 26, 10:41 AM EDT
By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor
Four months after buying the struggling Regency Square Mall, the New York-based owners have hired a general manager and assistant, new tenants are opening and more are preparing to set up shop.
With a focus on the East Mall, from Belk to JCPenney, mall staff says occupancy there will be up to 75 percent, with at least 15 new leases signed in the past three months. A dozen of those tenants could open by Aug. 15.
"I believe we have something very, very good and all it needs is tender, loving involvement," said James Kramer, who said he was hired three months ago to boost occupancy at the Arlington property.
He explained that included "involvement by us, involvement by the community and involvement by tenants."
The regional mall was built in 1967, later expanded and then battered by the loss of tenants to newer shopping centers in growing parts of town.
The owners focus on buying and redeveloping aging shopping malls.
Kramer, Regency's general manager, and administrative assistant Sondra Anderson, who worked at the mall since last fall with former owners, said Wednesday they are the two-person main office staff. Anderson also is the community-relations coordinator.
"We're encouraged," Kramer said in his mall management office, after fielding calls from prospective tenants.
Kramer said this morning he is executing a lease for Sports Mania to open next week.
One of the new tenants is Shawn Hundley, a retired U.S. Marine who opened Like Mama's in the food court on May 23.
"It's going pretty good," he said Wednesday. "I wanted to own my own business and to do something different with the mall."
He hired cook Mark Corbitt, who brings more than 20 years of experience to the comfort-food restaurant.
Kramer said he brings 35 years of experience to Regency, including time with Simon Property Group malls. Simon has long had ownership interests in St. Johns Town Center, The Avenues mall and Orange Park Mall.
Kramer said that while sales aren't booming at Regency Square, "we're at the point we're starting to go up."
He said Dillard's and Sears are "pleased with sales," Belk is doing well and "JCPenney is doing extremely well."
Kramer declined to comment about Belk's future at Regency. A site was cleared several miles east of the mall for a new Belk department store, expected to open in March. A Belk departure creates another large space to fill.
Regency Mall Realty LLC, which is the lead company that bought Regency, is a joint venture of Namdar Realty Group LLC and Mason Asset Management, both of Great Neck. They bought the property from General Growth Properties.
Regency Mall Realty paid $13 million for the mall Feb. 14 and took out a $10 million mortgage April 25. Kramer said owners haven't decided about upgrades yet.
Owners bought the mall after it had fallen to a 37.9 percent occupancy rate by year-end 2013, down from 60.1 percent at the end of 2012.
About a week after the purchase, a representative said the group intended to reposition the shopping center's tenants to the east side of the mall and was considering redevelopment options for the largely vacant west side of the mall.
Mason Asset Management recently distributed a marketing flier that says the mall was seeking tenants and has a gross leasable area of 1.39 million square feet. Kramer said the total square footage is 1.6 million square feet, including stores owned by Sears and Dillard's.
High-profile tenants that continue to operate in the East Mall include Aeropostale, Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, GameStop, Kay Jewelers, Wet Seal, Foot Locker, Claire's, LensCrafters and Jacksonville staple, Regency Health Foods.
Kramer said owners have redone some leases to keep tenants.
Another tenant is the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which maintains a substation near JCPenney.
Customer traffic in the East Mall corridor appeared light mid-afternoon Wednesday, although the largest clusters of cars were at the entrances to JCPenney and Belk.
Kramer said customer traffic is soft, but not too shabby. Some retailers have opened their second or third stores within the mall, indicating optimism.
"We have to get the tenants in here first in order to bring customers in," Kramer said. "We want to show them things are starting to change."
Kramer said changes the past three months have been rapid. "We're changing every day," he said.
"The true answer is December," Kramer said. The November-December holiday season is the bellwether for retailers, who generally log more than a third of their annual sales from Thanksgiving to Christmas, he said.
Kramer also said that as the mall continues to serve its existing customer base, it also will add diversity. "We're bringing in different stores that reach different ethnicities," he said.
Meanwhile the West Mall, from Belk to Sears, is open, although the leasing focus is on nontraditional retailers, Kramer said. For example, he said Torch Bearers Church should open about Aug. 1 in 15,000 square feet next to the Dillard's clearance center.
The remaining retailers in that part of the mall, in addition to Dillard's, are Sears, Regis Hair Salon and GNC. Sears and Dillard's own their buildings, and Kramer said Regis and GNC said sales are strong enough that they want to stay put.
The children's play area will remain in the West Mall for now. Kramer said no decision has been made about relocating it.
Kramer said he expects to start work next year on the West Mall.
"As we prove ourselves on this side, it's stirring interest among retailers," he said.
Also on the mall's 100 acres at 9501 Arlington Expressway is the closed Piccadilly Cafeteria. Kramer and Anderson say they hope to interest another buffet restaurant in the 14,000-square-foot building.
Anderson also is leading an effort to shore up Regency's community involvement.
She and Kramer outlined several efforts:
• Change thrown into the fountain in the East Mall will be donated to the Hubbard House domestic violence shelter.
• PACE Center for Girls can hand out materials over the summer for its programs, which assist at-risk girls and teenagers.
• Enroll America, a nonprofit that provides information about the Affordable Care Act, will set up for a day in July and do a larger event in November.
• A backpack giveaway for the fall school start
• A black-tie event the night before for Florida Black Expo that is scheduled Oct. 23 at the Prime Osborn Convention Center. From 1,300 to 1,500 attendees are expected at the Regency event.
• Trick-or-treating and a haunted house for Halloween.
•?Christmas caroling and tree-decorating events for area churches and school children.
"We're going back to what shopping centers used to be 25 years ago," Kramer said.
"We want the community to know we're happy to be here."
Regency Square Mall new and expanding tenants
New or returning tenants that have opened in the East Mall include:
• $5 & Under opened about a month ago near JCPenney. The operators of the former Dollar Star by Dillard's opened $5 & Under, whose specials Wednesday included wines sold four for $10.
• The Sunshine Express, the children's train ride, re-opened Friday.
• Hair Bar recently opened near the mall's front entrance. It sells hair pieces, extensions and jewelry.
• Rogers Jewelers opened June 13 in a former jewelry store near the food court. The owners also operate the Milan Jewelry kiosk near the store.
• Stag, a men's urban ready-to-wear store, opened three weeks ago.
• Sports Mania could open Monday near JCPenney.
New or expanding tenants are expected to open include:
• Anointed Creations Art Gallery caters to adults and children who want to create on canvases, provides art classes and more. Adult events include wine and cheese. Children's events include snacks. It should open about July 1.
• Boost Mobile could open in two weeks.
• Rainbow clothing will move across the corridor to a larger space about Aug. 1. It remains open in the existing location until then.
• A men and women's hair salon, near JCPenney, should open in 45 days.
• A children's clothing store could open before school starts.
• A sports bar and restaurant should open about Aug. 1 in the former Tilt game center near the food court, with interior and exterior entrances, allowing it to remain open till midnight seven days a week.
• A women's ready-to-wear clothing store could open in the existing Rainbow store by Sept. 1.
There are eight tenants at the food court, leaving three more spaces to lease. New tenants are:
• Like Mama's, comfort food, which opened a month ago near Subway.
• Captain O's, seafood and garlic crabs, should open in mid to late July. The Captain O's owner also operates Stag, another operation and possibly might open a fourth store.
• New York Pizza will take the Sbarro's space and should open by Aug. 1. Sbarro's closed more than 200 stores nationwide after filing this spring for bankruptcy protection.
Other tenants in negotiations:
• A comedy club, which would open near the front entrance in the former Boaters World location. It would have a separate outside entrance.
• Possibly two furniture stores, one from Jacksonville and one from Fort Lauderdale. One would open near Belk and the other near JCPenney. One or both leases could be signed in 60 days.
Thanks for posting this DuvalDude. Looks like things are turning around there. I go to sears often (too often if you ask my wife:) ) but I might have to venture into the mall.
I'm excited about:
Quote• A sports bar and restaurant should open about Aug. 1 in the former Tilt game center near the food court, with interior and exterior entrances, allowing it to remain open till midnight seven days a week.
• A comedy club, which would open near the front entrance in the former Boaters World location. It would have a separate outside entrance.
Comedy clubs are a large void in Jax - nearest one I know if is way down in Mandarin so this would be really good.
Guys night out - hit the bar for some food, comedy club for laughs and drinks, then spend whatevers left at the poker room!
Thanks for the update DD.
Hmm....sounds like the Gateway renovation effort in the mid-1980s. Fill the shopping center with non-traditional retail tenants.
QuoteMeanwhile the West Mall, from Belk to Sears, is open, although the leasing focus is on nontraditional retailers, Kramer said. For example, he said Torch Bearers Church should open about Aug. 1 in 15,000 square feet next to the Dillard's clearance center.
What happens with Belk in a few months will go a long way to determining Regency's ultimate future. In Gateway's case, the strategy kept their head above water until the anchors decided to split, once better opportunities came along.
When did Tilt close? I thought it was still there the last time I was at Regency (it's been awhile).
^^^I can't remember when the last time it was there LOL. It's been a very long time, like over a decade.
Tilt has been gone a LOOONG time, i'd say at least 2 years.
^^^My bad, I was thinking about the old school Tilt (way back when the RSM area had three arcades), before the mentioned Tilt that they built in the remodeled food court.
Quote from: coredumped on June 26, 2014, 02:41:00 PM
Thanks for posting this DuvalDude. Looks like things are turning around there. I go to sears often (too often if you ask my wife:) ) but I might have to venture into the mall.
I'm excited about:
Quote• A sports bar and restaurant should open about Aug. 1 in the former Tilt game center near the food court, with interior and exterior entrances, allowing it to remain open till midnight seven days a week.
• A comedy club, which would open near the front entrance in the former Boaters World location. It would have a separate outside entrance.
Comedy clubs are a large void in Jax - nearest one I know if is way down in Mandarin so this would be really good.
Guys night out - hit the bar for some food, comedy club for laughs and drinks, then spend whatevers left at the poker room!
Isn't there a comedy club on Beach Blvd. somewhere?
^ No problem. Thanks for the info. I remember dropping by the food court for lunch, probably was over two years ago, looking into the empty Tilt arcade, and wondering who exactly would be playing Mortal Kombat II or Area 51 at 1:30 in the afternoon on a week day. It was like a relic from the past.
Great info on the RSM. Nice to see the management company is trying to get the engine going again.
Quote from: IrvAdams on June 26, 2014, 04:06:41 PM
Quote from: coredumped on June 26, 2014, 02:41:00 PM
Thanks for posting this DuvalDude. Looks like things are turning around there. I go to sears often (too often if you ask my wife:) ) but I might have to venture into the mall.
I'm excited about:
Quote• A sports bar and restaurant should open about Aug. 1 in the former Tilt game center near the food court, with interior and exterior entrances, allowing it to remain open till midnight seven days a week.
• A comedy club, which would open near the front entrance in the former Boaters World location. It would have a separate outside entrance.
Comedy clubs are a large void in Jax - nearest one I know if is way down in Mandarin so this would be really good.
Guys night out - hit the bar for some food, comedy club for laughs and drinks, then spend whatevers left at the poker room!
Isn't there a comedy club on Beach Blvd. somewhere?
There is... https://www.jacksonvillecomedy.com/
btw....Sports Mania at the SJTC closed a few weeks back.....in part because the owner got a great deal to open a store in Regency Square....that store either opened this week or is opening next week.
^^Really? Cool. Isn't that where they started? Or maybe it was The Landing.
Thanks for the info.
Via the Daily Record:
Quotehttp://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=543831
Regency Square bids for Citizens Property operations center
By Karen Brune Mathis, Managing Editor
Six property owners, including a representative for Regency Square Mall, bid in the latest round to land a consolidated Jacksonville operations center for Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
The state government corporation provides insurance protection to Florida property owners and seeks about 226,400 square feet of space for the operations center.... Citizens Property intends to consolidate its Jacksonville operations, which have 800 employees, and move another 148 IT jobs into one large office.
Hmm. Going the route of Eastgate Town Center in Knoxville or Philips Mall at Philips and Emerson...
http://www.deadmalls.com/malls/eastgate_mall.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastgate_Mall_(Chattanooga)
So much for it being a major retail center...
Now we know what will go into Belk.
Torch Bearers Church will will make Regency Square it's home. The mall is reinventing itself by adding non-conventional tenants.
http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=544034
http://www.torchbearers.org/
Say hello to the malls formerly Philips and Grand Boulevard...
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/2438508192_8q9qh6W-M.jpg)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-apr-the-story-of-phillips-highway-plaza/page/1#.VDRC8PldViY
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v226/urbanjax7816/P1160183.jpg)
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-oct-the-malling-of-jacksonville/page/2#.VDRJrfldViY
The structures are still there but their days as retail centers are long gone.
^^^Both the Philips Mall and the Grand Boulevard reinvented themselves successfully. I worked for a while at an insurance company with offices in the old Philips mall. I think Regency will survive nicely with a mix of office space, retail and restaurants. It still has the three main attributes of good real estate: location, location, location.
AMC Regency Square is going through with the 2.9 million renovation.
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/blog/money_makers/2014/11/amc-multiplex-cinema-in-regency-square-getting-2-9.html
^^They're adding a bar. That's a new concept locally, isn't it? I don't think I've seen that anywhere, at least not in Jax. Reminds me of the cinema and suds places that used to be around, where you could drink and eat at your seat. Only the San Marco does this anymore.
Should make it more attractive to the adult crowd.
AMC in Orange Park has had one for a little while now. Also Sun Ray in 5-Points has a bar :)
^^I'll drink to that :-)
new seats but the bar isn't definite:
QuoteThe AMC Regency 24 theater is about to undergo a $2.9 million renovation. Among the changes, all the seats will be replaced by power recliners. That will reduce the number of seats significantly, but AMC spokesman Kevin Noonan said that attendance has gone up after similar renovations elsewhere.
AMC started changing its theaters to recliners two or three years ago and has converted about 48 theaters, he said.
The building permit issued last week also called for a bar to be added, but Noonan said that is still being decided. AMC has added its McGuffins full-alcohol bars in about 100 theaters nationwide. Sometimes, it's a full lounge with tables. Other times it's primarily to take the drink into the theater.
http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-11-15/story/roger-bulls-sunday-business-notebook
For my two cents I would say that the ability, at a minimum, or bring adult beverages into a movie is an enticement, especially for older patrons. There's only so much soda that I can drink during a two-hour presentation.
Never been to the AMCs or any other large screen theater with bars. How much is a beer, usually? Similar markups to other products?
Heh, I saw a sign at the OP AMC advertising free fries with the $18 chicken tender combo. I don't think I want to know what they charge for booze.
2nd mortgage rates are at an all time low,common people,take out a loan and go to the movies!
More seriously, it's really not that bad. The only thing theaters can do is sell an experience, going out to eat is a luxury item, going to the movies is also. Its probably a bit cheaper than a jags game.
What they need to do is make sure it's GOOD food, not reheated Tyson tenders,1% white meat, 99% breading. Get a chef in there and do it up right!
I've been to the AMC theaters plenty of times. Overpriced for sure. But I've never seen an 18 dollar chicken tender combo.
Wet Seal is closing 338 stores, about two-thirds of its locations, resulting in nearly 3,700 full- and part-time workers losing their jobs. They've already shut down Regency's store and no one returned calls from the Avenues location yesterday.
Full article: http://jacksonville.com/breaking-news/2015-01-07/story/mall-retailer-wet-seal-closing-over-300-stores-cutting-nearly-3700