Oviedo Mall (previously known as Oviedo Marketplace) is a single-story enclosed shopping mall located in Oviedo, Florida, a northeastern suburb of Orlando. The mall includes a movie theater and is owned and managed by International Growth Properties. As of the 2020s, its only operating department store anchor is Dillard’s; two former anchor spaces previously occupied by Macy’s and Sears remain vacant. Other major tenants include a D’Amico Italian Market, a Paul Mitchell cosmetology school, medical offices, and a Regal Cinemas movie theater.[1]
Until 2022, the interior of Oviedo Mall featured large portraits depicting historic areas of Oviedo along with images of early European and African-American settlers. These displays were later replaced by murals and interactive installations created by local artists, many of which incorporate a hidden chicken, a long-standing symbol and unofficial mascot of the city of Oviedo.
History
Development and opening
The first retail development on the site was a Target store, which opened in October 1994. The Rouse Company later developed the enclosed shopping center as Oviedo Marketplace, which officially opened on March 4, 1998.[2]
At opening, the mall was approximately 80 percent leased and anchored by Gayfers and Dillard’s department stores, along with a 22-screen Regal Cinemas theater. Early tenants included Barnes & Noble, a Foot Locker superstore, and f.y.e.[3][4]
Anchor changes and early struggles
In September 1998, less than a year after opening, the Gayfers location was sold to Parisian following Dillard’s acquisition of Gayfers’ parent company, Mercantile Stores Company, and a related divestment agreement.[5]
Sears joined the mall as a third anchor in November 2000.[6] Parisian closed the Oviedo location later that year due to poor sales and sold the space to Burdines, which opened in November 2000.[7][8]
The store was later rebranded Burdines–Macy’s in 2003 and Macy’s in 2005, before closing in 2017. The space remains vacant.
Ownership changes and tenant evolution
The mall struggled with low occupancy for much of its history due to factors including its relatively small footprint, competition from nearby Waterford Lakes Town Center, exterior-facing entrances for some tenants that reduced interior foot traffic, and broader declines in enclosed mall retail.[9]
General Growth Properties acquired the Rouse Company in 2004 and assumed ownership of the mall.[10] Bed Bath & Beyond relocated to an exterior site in 2009, citing the oversized nature of its interior space.[11]
General Growth sold the mall to CW Capital in 2010, and the property was renamed Oviedo Mall in 2011.[12]
In 2012, John Paul Mitchell Systems opened a cosmetology school at the mall, occupying space originally intended for restaurant use.[13] CW Capital sold the property to 3D Investments in 2013.[14]
Former Bed Bath & Beyond space was later redeveloped into a gym, children’s fitness facility, and O2B Kids preschool and afterschool center.[15]
Recent developments
In 2025, Regal Cinemas completed upgrades to its Oviedo Mall theater, including updated seating and interior improvements, as part of efforts to modernize the moviegoing experience. The theater remains one of the mall’s primary entertainment anchors.[16]
Community use and events
By the 2020s, Oviedo Mall increasingly functioned as a multi-purpose community venue in addition to its retail role. The property has hosted established civic and nonprofit events such as Taste of Oviedo, Cops ’n Cars for Kids, and City of Oviedo–sponsored Independence Day celebrations, as well as seasonal markets and themed festivals.[17][18]
The mall has also hosted specialty pop-up events including Renaissance fairs, artisan markets, and themed vendor gatherings such as Goblin Market, reflecting the use of flexible space for short-term programming and local businesses.[19]
Event programming and marketing are overseen by the mall’s management team. As of the 2020s, these efforts have been led by the mall’s director of marketing and events, Josh Gunderson, whose role has been referenced in local coverage related to public-facing programming and redevelopment-era operations.[20]
As part of its community-focused programming, the mall operates age-based initiatives for younger visitors. These include Kid Crew, a program for children ages 3–12, and the Mall Rat Club, a supervised teen program reintroduced in 2025. According to WESH 2 News, the Mall Rat Club was implemented to encourage structured, positive youth engagement within the mall environment.[21][22]
Redevelopment
In the early 2020s, the City of Oviedo approved zoning changes allowing for a mixed-use redevelopment of the Oviedo Mall property. Approved concepts included residential units, hospitality, office space, and expanded commercial uses while permitting continued mall operations during phased redevelopment. As of the mid-2020s, redevelopment planning remained ongoing.[23]
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