So is Countryside Mall closing for good? (Tampa, Orlando: middle-class, how much)

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by mrviking

Well perhaps... yes or no. The mall owner was foreclosed on in January 2021 and the lender had to take over the mall along with the one in Citrus park. The owners are still in charge of the one in Brandon.
Lets hope they find another buyer.

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/l...te-foreclosure

I was wondering if the Sears store at the Brandon mall ever closed? It's amazing how long it's held on. I realize that a lot of anchor stores don't have leases they can terminate, but it gets to a point where it's simply not viable to keep the place open...

RM

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by mrviking

Well perhaps... yes or no. The mall owner was foreclosed on in January 2021 and the lender had to take over the mall along with the one in Citrus park. The owners are still in charge of the one in Brandon.
Lets hope they find another buyer.

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/l...te-foreclosure

Westfield (the group that owned Countryside) had been having some financial troubles for years. Countryside Mall itself has always been a strong performer.

https://www.retaildive.com/news/why-...the-us/595233/

[FeRail]

Originally Posted by MortonR

I was wondering if the Sears store at the Brandon mall ever closed? It's amazing how long it's held on. I realize that a lot of anchor stores don't have leases they can terminate, but it gets to a point where it's simply not viable to keep the place open...

RM

The Sears store in Brandon closed this past April. It makes me wonder who will take over the empty space, and it's likely it will stay empty for a while.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by McBain II

Westfield (the group that owned Countryside) had been having some financial troubles for years. Countryside Mall itself has always been a strong performer.

https://www.retaildive.com/news/why-...the-us/595233/

Here is an interesting piece. In 2013 Westfield took on an investor for 22 of its mall properties. Including countryside, citrus park and Brandon. In January 2021 It dumped Countryside with 150mil in debt and Citrus park with 128 mil of debt. It bought out its partner for the mall in Brandon and Broward country.


Quick quote from the story:


"For now, Westfield’s parent is concentrating on its Brandon mall, which also is anchored by Macy’s, JC Penney, Dillard’s and Sears — though the latter has left the property."


"Katie Woolridge, the mall’s general manager, says the Brandon center has thrived even as others have withered because of a loyal clientele.
“We have strong return traffic here and strong national brands,” says Woolridge, the mall’s manager for the past three years and a Westfield employee for seven. “A lot of our stores are our tenant’s number one performers.”



I guess they cut the dead wood and kept the cash cows, not surprising.




https://www.businessobserverfl.com/a...atie-woolridge

[Huasho]

The shopping experience, FOR ME, not for everyone here obviously...It's on line and going to the Open Shopping Plazas opening all over America, What a pleasure is to walk in an area full of trees, Grass and Parking Galore, I don't really care if it's 90 outside, as here in Florida is the Norm for Summer, it's just more Fun and better for Us than those enclosed, actually CLOSED IN Malls.

[Huasho]

Originally Posted by mrviking

"For now, Westfield’s parent is concentrating on its Brandon mall, which also is anchored by Macy’s, JC Penney, Dillard’s and Sears — though the latter has left the property."

ALL 4 Retailers in the Gutter Suffocated by Debt....Not One of them doing well at all . . . . Losing Propossition from any ANGLE you look at this picture. Sears is already DEAD . . . . .

Back to Countryside, IF Whole Foods remains Open there to this day. (I do not know as I havent been there in a while) ..They maybe the ONLY ones doinn GOOD business there right now.. . . .

[Lillie767]

Originally Posted by Huasho

ALL 4 Retailers in the Gutter Suffocated by Debt....Not One of them doing well at all . . . . Losing Propossition from any ANGLE you look at this picture. Sears is already DEAD . . . . .

Back to Countryside, IF Whole Foods remains Open there to this day. (I do not know as I havent been there in a while) ..They maybe the ONLY ones doinn GOOD business there right now.. . . .

Yes - it is still open and usually quite busy. There is a dearth of upscale markets in this area. And no Trader Joe's!

[Jandrew5]

Last time I was in that mall it seemed like it was doing good business. You rarely see a mall with a Cheesecake Factory close. The mall is fine. Bankruptcy doenst equal closure. Circuit City, Toys R Us, Sears, Kmart didn't close because of lack of business or online shopping.

My sorry hometown mall was bought out by a company for the sole purpose of reselling it to someone else. It's still open and it is nowhere, nowhere near as busy as Countryside, it happens.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by Jandrew5

Last time I was in that mall it seemed like it was doing good business. You rarely see a mall with a Cheesecake Factory close. The mall is fine. Bankruptcy doenst equal closure. Circuit City, Toys R Us, Sears, Kmart didn't close because of lack of business or online shopping.

My sorry hometown mall was bought out by a company for the sole purpose of reselling it to someone else. It's still open and it is nowhere, nowhere near as busy as Countryside, it happens.

Mall was in debt 150 million.. Its a real short book about names of owners walking away from their successful business and giving it back to the bank.

[Huasho]

Originally Posted by Lillie767

Yes - it is still open and usually quite busy. There is a dearth of upscale markets in this area. And no Trader Joe's!

Of Course, Whole Foods are never found in the Vecinity of SLUMS anywhere...They know where the Rich Peoples Areas Are, and they handle them them accordingly.