Festival Bay Mall
In 1998, developer Belz Enterprises announced plans for a 1.1-million-square-foot (100,000 m2) shopping center, which would be built next to the company's existing Factory Outlet World and Designer Outlet Center complexes. Belz billed the mall as an "upscale entertainment complex" that would eschew traditional anchor stores in favor of unique retailers and entertainment venues. [3]
At the time of the mall's announcement, Bass Pro Shops had agreed to build a 162,000-square-foot (0.0151 km2) anchor store. [3] Later that year, Belz announced that Cinemark USA had agreed to build a 20-screen movie theater. [4] Both were the first Central Florida locations for their respective chains. In 1999, Ron Jon Surf Shop and Vans both announced plans for 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) stores, with Vans's containing an indoor skatepark. [5] Ron Jon's store would later be downsized to 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2). [6] Closer to opening, Sheplers Western Wear and Steve & Barry's University Sportswear were announced as additional anchors. [7]
In 2000, local architect C.T. Hsu announced plans for Factory Funhouse and Festival Boardwalk, a $60 million amusement park consisting of a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) indoor complex and a 15-acre (6.1 ha) outdoor boardwalk, which would serve as the mall's seventh anchor. [8] However, the project was put on hold in 2002 when an investor pulled out, [9] leaving the anchor plot undeveloped.
Belz initially claimed that the mall would begin construction in late 1998 and open in 2000. [3] Cinemark opened in December 1999, [10] and Bass Pro Shops opened the following May. [11] However, construction on the mall proper did not begin until June 2001 due to permitting issues and difficulty securing tenants amid the early 2000s recession. [12] [13] [14] The mall officially opened on April 3, 2003, though many stores, including Ron Jon, did not open until later in the year. [14] [15]
In 2004, plans were announced for a surfing park, named Ron Jon Surfpark, to be built inside the mall. [16] This project was never opened.
In January 2012, Vans Skatepark, one of the mall's anchors, closed. While it was one of the most popular attractions at the mall, no reason was given for the closure. It is stated that after two years, the mall is expected to reopen most likely as a newly named, open-air complex with shops, entertainment and maybe even hotels. [17]
Artegon Marketplace
In early 2011, the mall was acquired by a division of The Lightstone Group, which announced plans to redevelop the mall. Festival Bay was re-opened as Artegon Marketplace on November 20, 2014. [18]
The $70 million renovation removed the mall's signature lake and tile-mosaic signage in favor of a modernized theme. The renovation also converted two-thirds of Festival Bay's original space into small storefronts (40–300 square feet (3.7–27.9 m2) in size), which were rented out to local artisanal vendors. [18] The mall's anchor stores were retained.
Artegon Marketplace closed on January 26, 2017. The closure was announced to tenants only two weeks prior, which led to larger tenants filing a lawsuit against Lightstone. As with the closure of Festival Bay, the mall's anchors, such as Bass Pro Shops and Cinemark, remained open. [19]
Dezerland Park Orlando
In January 2018, Dezer Development of Miami acquired the property, encompassing its 104 acres and 865,000-square-foot (80,400 m2) mall, for $23.7 million. The complex, now known as Dezerland Park, officially reopened in 2021. One of the site's focal points is the Orlando Auto Museum, which contains a collection of automobiles and automotive memorabilia previously located at the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer Collection in North Miami, Florida. Dezerland Park contains Florida's largest indoor karting track, as well as a 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) trampoline park, bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, and arcade. [20]
LYNX : 8, 24, 42, 304
