Port Charlotte Town Center sits just off Tamiami Trail, a mile from the heart of Port Charlotte, Florida.
The mall opened in August 1989 with more than a million square feet of air-conditioned space.
The mall originally had JCPenney, Sears, and Belk-Lindsey as anchor stores. Burdines, Dillard's, and Montgomery Ward were added afterward.
Visitors from North Port, Englewood, and Punta Gorda primarily came because it was conveniently located nearby.
The mall had a one-story layout with six large stores and outparcel buildings on the sides.
Some of the stores later shut down or were replaced.
Belk-Lindsey became Burdines and later Macy's. Bealls replaced Montgomery Ward, and eventually, Sears' space was left empty.
Bealls, DSW, and Dillard's had water damage from Hurricane Ian in September 2022.
By 2024, the idea of apartments on the Macy's property was under review.
By 2025, the number of closed storefronts exceeded the number of new ones opening.
Groundwork and Grand Opening (1987-1989)
Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation bought 132 acres from General Development Corporation in 1987 for a new commercial development in Port Charlotte.
The project was first planned to open in two phases.
Plans were changed by the end of 1987 so that the mall would open all at once. Building began with the December groundbreaking.
The layout included a million square feet and anchor stores for JCPenney, Sears, Belk-Lindsey, and Maas Brothers.
The mall was completed in the summer of 1989. JCPenney, Sears, and Belk-Lindsey opened first on July 29, before the main grand opening.
On August 2, over 25,000 people attended the grand opening, and visitors walked through the new corridors, featuring a variety of stores and dining options.
Several promotional events took place during the opening. Miss Universe Angela Visser attended JCPenney's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A few days later, there was a Gala Preview event where Jack Jones performed for attendees.
The original anchor roster gave each corner a department store, with smaller retailers and restaurants filling out the plan.
Outparcel lots were set aside for future business growth.
The mall was designed as a loop, making it easy for people to go from one anchor store to another.
In its first year, Port Charlotte Town Center attracted national retailers and a steady stream of visitors.
Expansion and Early Adjustments (1990-1999)
Plans for a Maas Brothers anchor were shelved in January 1990 after Allied Stores, its parent company, filed for bankruptcy protection.
The planned anchor space was not constructed, and other anchor stores opened in its place.
Dillard's and Montgomery Ward were announced as anchor stores in 1991.
Belk-Lindsey sold its space to Burdines in February 1994, and the area was renovated after the sale.
The rest of the mall kept its original layout. Regal Cinemas opened a multiplex in 1999, featuring evening and weekend showings of movies.
Outparcels continued to fill in, with restaurants and service businesses rounding out the commercial mix.
Anchor Turnover and Retail Shifts (2000-2010)
Montgomery Ward closed its doors at Port Charlotte Town Center in 2001 after the company's national bankruptcy.
The anchor spot was not vacant for long. Bealls took over in 2002, so a Florida-based retailer became part of the main section of the mall.
The Burdines name changed on the building, first to Burdines-Macy's in 2003, and then to Macy's in 2005, following a wider rebranding of the chain.
From Stability to Storms (2011-2020)
From 2011 to 2018, Sears, JCPenney, Dillard's, Macy's, Bealls, and Regal Cinemas remained open and did not undergo changes, while Port Charlotte and the surrounding towns experienced growth.
The mall had regular sales events, and the number of shoppers increased during the holidays.
Some small chain stores and local shops opened, but many of these businesses did not stay open for long.
In late December 2018, Sears announced its closure at the mall, part of a national round of store cuts.
By March 2019, the Sears location was empty, marking the end of Sears's presence in the mall since it first opened.
In 2020, the former Sears store became a set for PBS Kids Talk About, bringing television crews to a part of the mall no longer open for regular shopping.
The television production attracted visitors who were not regular mall shoppers.
Bankruptcy, Auction, and Storm Damage (2021-2022)
The new year brought another change to the anchor lineup.
On January 6, 2021, Macy's announced that it would close its store at Port Charlotte Town Center by March, part of a national plan that included 46 store closures.
When Macy's closed, the space it used became empty. Ownership of the mall changed soon after.
Washington Prime Group, the previous owner, filed for bankruptcy.
The mall was sold at auction to the company's creditors, but stayed open.
On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in the vicinity of Port Charlotte.
Water and wind caused visible damage to Bealls, DSW, and Dillard's. Some entrances were covered with plywood while cleanup crews worked inside.
There were stains on the ceiling tiles, and some doors were boarded up after the storm.
The food court remained open, but fewer people visited during the repairs.
Signs advertising leasing were placed in empty stores, and some shops did not reopen as quickly as expected.
After the cleanup, damage from the hurricane was still visible in the mall.
Redevelopment and Recent Events (2023-2025)
New development ideas were being looked at for the property by early 2024.
Among them, developers wanted to build a five-story apartment complex called Avery at Port Charlotte, located at the former Macy's site in Port Charlotte Town Center.
The plan included about 250 units and new features. The project marked a shift from retail to residential use for part of the property.
The former Macy's site will be cleared to make way for a U-shaped apartment complex positioned at the front of the lot.
County approval includes a clubhouse, pool, gym, business space, and bike racks on approximately 7.1 acres of land.
Construction is expected to be done by March 2030, but as of mid-2025, it is still in the approval and permitting phase.
Located 4 miles away, Promenades Mall began redevelopment in June 2024.
County officials and workers began construction on Promenades at Parkside, planning to add housing, offices, a hotel, and additional retail space.
In May 2025, county officials approved the construction of West Port Marketplace, anchored by Publix, located near Port Charlotte Town Center.
The new shopping center increased the amount of retail in the area.
The storefronts at Port Charlotte Town Center underwent changes as a result of these projects; more signs now advertise available space for lease.
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We need space for our homeless and the U shape could be offices turned into wrap around services.
Stop building unaffordable housing!
Turning abandoned commercial space into something human again - that's the kind of reuse that carries weight. Thank you for thinking of it.