Regency Square Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Opened in 1967 and once one of the most successful malls in the country, the mall now features around 20 stores, including one anchor store, Dillard's Clearance Center, Impact Church, and a food court. It is owned by Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management.
History
Regency Square Mall was a $12 million project of Regency Centers, constructed at an expanse of sand dunes. It initially featured three anchor stores: national chain JCPenney, along with May-Cohens and Furchgotts. The mall also included a Woolworth dime store as a junior anchor, as well as a cafeteria-style Piccadilly restaurant. In out parcels, the single-screen (later twinned) Regency Cinema opened on the northeast corner of the property, and Annie Tiques bar and restaurant opened on the southwest corner.
1970s
According to an Urban Land Institute study published by the Florida Times-Union in 1979, it was one of the most profitable retail centers in the nation, with yearly average sales of $156/ft² versus a national average of $88/ft². To give back to the community, the mall operators turned over thousands of dollars in coins from their decorative fountains to charities. All types of social events, from art, shows to science fairs to horticultural exhibits were held there.
1980s
In 1981, a $30 million major expansion nearly doubled the size of the mall, adding Sears and a relocated Ivey's. The former Ivey's became Furchgott's, and the existing May-Cohens was also enlarged. As a result of this expansion, the mall comprised two separate segments: the original mall between JCPenney and May-Cohens, and the new segment between May-Cohens and Sears. Furchgott's was closed in 1985 when the chain merged with Stein Mart. Unlike the other Furchgott's stores, the one at Regency Square did not become a Stein Mart, as the mall management considered the chain too low-end for the mall. A food court and a six-screen AMC theater was added midway along the east wing. The southwest outparcel was removed to make room for the expansion, requiring Annie Tiques to open a new location years later at the Jacksonville Landing when it opened in 1987. May Cohen’s briefly operated as May Florida before being converted to Baton Rouge-based Maison Blanche in July 1988.
1990s
In 1990, the Regency Twin theater on the northeast corner of the property closed, and Picadilly's Cafeteria moved from inside the mall to the new structure they built in its place.
In 1991, Regency Group sold the property to General Growth Properties of Chicago for $71.8 million.
In early 1992, Maison Blanche was sold to Mobile-based Gayfer's via Mercantile Stores.
Dillard's, who had rebranded the Ivey's store in June 1990, built a new location onto the West Wing, which opened -along with of new inline store space- also in 1992. This was likewise done at The Avenues Mall a year before. The mall's Woolworth closed in July 1997. Ivey's former store became Montgomery Ward.
While Dillard’s purchased Gayfer's parent company in late 1998, both stores overlapped in this market, so this store instead became Belk. As a result, they opened in Jacksonville for the first time, and the store was in the process of a second expansion when the nameplate was converted. The mall also underwent a $30 million renovation in 1998, which comprised the addition of a new, 24-screen AMC movie complex on the northwest corner of the property to replace the existing six-screen theater inside the mall. A substation of the Jacksonville Sheriff's office was also added, as was a food court. Old Navy also came to the mall in the late 1990s.
Regency announced formal conduct and dress codes in 1999 to deal with offensive or intimidating behavior and gang activity. Because the mall is private property, management has the right to ask individuals not in compliance to leave the premises.
2000s
Montgomery Ward closed in 2001, and Burdines expressed interest in moving into the vacated building. Starting in 2003, General Growth began talking with other retailers, such as Kohl's (which did not operate any stores in Florida at the time) to fill the space vacated by Montgomery Ward. In 2006, HomeWorks Furniture opened occupying the ground floor of the former Montgomery Ward space, but HomeWorks would close in December 2009 cititing low sales.