Sunshine Mall Explained

Sunshine Mall
Location:Clearwater, FL, US
Coordinates:27.9541°N -82.7896°W
Address:1200 Missouri Avenue
Opening Date:September 26, 1968
Closing Date:1998
Developer:Gambest Associates[1]
Number Of Stores:72[2]
Number Of Anchors:2
Floor Area:310000square feet
Floors:1

Sunshine Mall was a single-level, enclosed shopping mall located in Clearwater, Florida, U.S.[3] It was anchored by Phar-Mor and Office Depot.[4] It was owned by New Haven, Connecticut based Fusco Property Management.[5]

History

The Sunshine Mall opened on September 26, 1968, with of mall space and a 135000square feet J. C. Penney[6] as an anchor, which replaced a store in downtown Clearwater.[7] [8] The mall was the first enclosed shopping center in Pinellas County, Florida.[9]

It was at one time the largest climate-controlled mall on Florida's west coast.[10] It was also the first in the Southern United States to offer valet parking.[2]

The mall also featured a Trans-Lux single screen theater, Pantry Pride, SupeRx Drugs, and McCrory's.[11] [12] [13] [14] A second anchor, J Byrons, was confirmed in 1970.[15] The theater was "twinned" into a two-screen theater in 1977, reopening in December; the theater had expanded to 5 screens by the time of closing.[16] Pantry Pride closed at the mall in February 1979, and was replaced by Mr C's Warehouse Grocery by late 1979.[17]

Office Depot opened in the former Sports Unlimited space in 1990. J Byrons closed at the mall in 1991, to be replaced by Phar-Mor, which was relocating from a nearby plaza.[18] By July 1994, McCrory's had closed its doors and J. C. Penney had announced intentions to leave by January, and the mall had stopped signing new leases for interior tenants, keeping existing tenants on month-to-month leases.[19] A rebuild of the mall was announced in 1995, which was to transform the mall into a strip mall power center, retaining an interior corridor, however this never came to pass. The mall was demolished beginning in July 1998 by Terra Excavating Inc of Largo, FL in order to make way for a 600-apartment complex.[20] [21]

Notes and References

  1. News: Sunshine Mall looms larger . Tampa Bay Times . October 16, 1966 . January 29, 2020 . 7B.
  2. News: State's longest mall nears completion . The Tampa Tribune . August 18, 1968 . January 29, 2020 . Earl Emmons . 9E.
  3. 20 June 2018. Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board Agenda, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM, June 20, 2018. Pinellas County Historic Preservation Board Agenda.
  4. News: Tampa Bay Times. Damske. Jim. 10 December 1990. 19 January 2020.
  5. News: Plaza could boast string of superstores. Riley. Jim. 12 January 1995. The Tampa Tribune. 19 January 2020.
  6. News: Clearwater Beach Reaches For The Sky. Albury. Chuck. 19 January 1969. Tampa Bay Times. 18 January 2020.
  7. News: Sunshine Mall Looms Larger. Albury. Chuck. 16 October 1966. Tampa Bay Times. 18 January 2020.
  8. News: Thursday, 26 years of shoes will be no more. 14 December 1994. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  9. Web site: Challenges of Buildout in Pinellas County.
  10. News: Virginia Taylor Roberts. 8. 1996-10-13 . Englewood Sun . en.
  11. News: 4 Stores To Start Discount Operation. Talbot. Patrick. 7 August 1968. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  12. News: 9¢ Sale - SupeRx Drugs. 10 October 1968. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  13. News: McCrory's Leases Mall Space. 15 January 1967. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  14. News: Clearwater To Get Another Theatre. 6 July 1967. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  15. News: Good Morning. Albury. Chuck. 29 May 1970. Tampa Bay Times. 18 January 2020.
  16. Web site: Sunshine Mall 5. moviefanaticfan. Cinema Treasures. 19 January 2020.
  17. News: Mr. C's Warehouse Grocery leases spot in Sunshine Mall. 2 November 1979. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  18. News: J Byrons leaving, Phar-Mor moving in. Burney. Teresa. 12 April 1991. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  19. News: Stuarts joins migration from Sunshine Mall. Rigsby. G. G.. 19 July 1994. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.
  20. News: Demolition site creates classroom for rescuers. 22 August 1998. Tampa Bay Times. 18 January 2020.
  21. News: Clearwater businesswoman believes in recycling in a big way. Rigsby. 8 November 1998. Tampa Bay Times. 19 January 2020.

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