Sawgrass Mills Mall opens in 1990 and finds form
Sawgrass Mills opened in Sunrise on October 4, 1990, as the third project of the Mills Corporation, with Arquitectonica shaping the alligator-like plan into a single-level outlet complex.
The first stage stretched from BrandsMart USA and Sears Outlet past the Garden Food Court to Books-A-Million. A second stage arrived on November 15, 1990, extending west past the Market Food Court to Marshalls and Spiegel Outlet.
The debut positioned the property as a new destination in Broward County.
It launched with more than a million square feet of space, a planned path of courts and rotundas, and a roster of factory stores built around its large food courts and first anchors.
Building out the early 1990s footprint
After opening in 1990, Sawgrass Mills continued to grow rapidly.
In December 1991, Cobb Theatres opened an 18-screen cinema on the mall's edge, transforming the property into a destination where people lingered after shopping.
The following summer brought Target Greatland, a big-box anchor set at the east wing, which would later be converted to a Super Target in 2006.
Phar-Mor opened in those years, one in a crop of discount ventures that had only a short run at chasing outlet business.
The enclosed mall was only part of the expansion story.
In 1993, Sam's Club appeared on the mall's edge, its warehouse racks attracting the same shoppers who filled the anchor stores.
Then, in November 1995, the complex expanded further with the addition of Veranda Main Street, a new parallel wing that introduced TJ Maxx, Service Merchandise, and marked the debut of Last Call by Neiman Marcus.
The Service Merchandise site had been the focus of a legal dispute with L. Luria & Sons, illustrating how competitive anchor slots at Sawgrass had become only five years after the mall's opening.
Late 1990s to early 2000s additions
In April 1999, Sawgrass Mills pushed outward again with The Oasis.
The new section extended from near the Burlington Coat Factory to the Regal Cinemas, which was simultaneously expanded from 18 to 23 screens.
The arrival of The Oasis added a new layer to the property.
Outdoor seating, restaurants such as The Cheesecake Factory and California Pizza Kitchen, and a cluster of theaters provided a contrast to the traditional indoor shopping experience.
A new parking garage was completed in 2002 across from Burlington's entrance.
This was the mall's first garage, built to accommodate the increasing traffic generated by the addition of the entertainment wing.
Two years later, another attraction arrived inside the existing structure: Wannado City.
The indoor park opened in spring 2004, offering children paid admission to role-play in a miniature city.
Its presence added an unusual feature for a U.S. outlet mall, broadening the property's reputation beyond its retail offerings.
By this point, the mall was rebranded from the inside out. Gone were the "Main Street" designations and the rotunda courts meant to set them apart.
In their place came utilitarian names tied to parking areas, a nod to the reality that themed corridors couldn't hold together.
At the same time, anchors cycled out and expansions altered shopper routes.
Colonnade Outlets and ownership changes
In 2006, Sawgrass Mills opened The Colonnade Outlets, a new wing designed by BCT Design Group.
The addition introduced upscale outlet brands such as Burberry, Coach, Michael Kors, and St. John, along with restaurants like Grand Lux Cafe and P.F. Chang's China Bistro.
The open-air format gave the property a different rhythm from the enclosed corridors, linking luxury names to the outlet landscape.
Ownership shifted soon after. On April 3, 2007, Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital completed their acquisition of The Mills Corporation, bringing Sawgrass Mills fully under Simon's control.
The Colonnade continued to grow in stages, with a 2009 expansion adding Tommy Bahama and Kate Spade.
Other changes marked the decade. Wannado City closed on January 12, 2011, ending its seven-year run as a children's attraction.
In 2013, the mall converted the former Wannado space into Fashion Row, creating a new interior wing with clothing tenants.
These projects kept the property evolving, folding new retail into earlier structures while responding to shifting demand.
Parking capacity and dining growth
The 2016 expansion at the Colonnade included a new parking garage, providing visitors with a multilevel option that alleviated pressure on surface lots during peak shopping seasons.
This was the second garage for Sawgrass Mills, built to support the heavy traffic generated by the outlet's luxury wing.
The same expansion introduced several high-end tenants, including Tory Burch, John Varvatos, and Versace, as well as Florida's first Matchbox restaurant.
These stores joined an already extensive roster of fashion outlets, creating a denser, more upscale section of the property.
Dining anchors multiplied during this period. Seasons 52 was added to the Colonnade's dining mix in spring 2019, joining Grand Lux Cafe and P.F. Chang's as another sit-down choice.
Later that year, Barneys New York announced the Sawgrass Mills store was among fifteen nationwide to be closed under its bankruptcy plan.
The loss of Barneys New York was part of the usual turnover that defined the mall. Retailers came and went, but the center continued to move forward.
In 2019, that meant a multimillion-dollar renovation, complete with new canopies and exterior work.
The project gave the sprawling space a more current look and emphasized its dual identity as a shopping and dining magnet.
Town Center and anchor turnover
In 2018, the Town Center at Sawgrass Mills opened as a major new addition to the mall, located next to the Colonnade.
Unlike the outlet-heavy core, the Town Center featured about 25 full-price retailers and four sit-down restaurants, blending traditional mall tenants with the outlet model.
A 2,000-space parking garage was included in the expansion, further easing crowding during weekends and holidays.
The design seamlessly extended the Colonnade, creating a direct link. Anchor turnover defined the next phase.
On September 10, 2020, Century 21 Department Store announced it would close all locations, including the Sawgrass Mills store, which shut its doors on December 6.
The large space did not remain empty for long. In 2021, Q Store California opened in the former Century 21 site, introducing a new fashion tenant to the lineup.
2020, marked another change when AC Hotels by Marriott opened next to the Colonnade, adding 174 rooms as the property's first on-site hotel.
By September 15, 2022, Bed Bath & Beyond confirmed that its Sawgrass Mills store would close as part of a nationwide downsizing, continuing the cycle of anchor shifts that had shaped the mall throughout the decade.
Challenges inside Sawgrass Mills (2024–2025)
From 2024 to 2025, Sawgrass Mills faced a series of operational and safety challenges.
In March 2024, Neiman Marcus Last Call was the site of a robbery in which two suspects smashed a display case, pepper-sprayed an employee, and fled with handbags valued at more than $12,000.
A fight inside the mall one Saturday night in May 2024 sent shoppers running before police confirmed there had been no gunfire and order was restored.
Operational strains extended to food service tenants. In October 2024, inspectors ordered three restaurants closed after rodent activity was documented.
In 2025, Paul's Fresh Bakery was closed in February for insect activity and improper storage, with reports citing a previous closure in March 2024.
Matchbox followed in June 2025, when inspectors ordered it shut due to unsafe food temperatures and insect issues, although it reopened after a reinspection the next day.
These episodes documented how various issues, ranging from theft to compliance, continued to challenge the mall's daily operations.
Sawgrass Mills as a living property
In 2025, Sawgrass Mills covers more than 2.3 million square feet, making it the largest single-story outlet mall in the United States.
The property functions as a complex of three main sections: the enclosed core, The Oasis with its dining and theaters, and The Colonnade, where luxury outlets such as Gucci, Versace, and Burberry cluster.
The Town Center wing, completed in 2018, extends the layout with 25 full-price stores, four restaurants, and a garage that holds 2,000 cars.
The current tenant mix shows the scale of the mall.
Anchors include Super Target, BrandsMart USA, Nordstrom Rack, Saks OFF 5TH, Primark, Nike Factory Store, Bloomingdale's Outlet, Marshalls, H&M, Fashion Q, and Burlington.
Regal Cinemas continues to anchor the entertainment side, and dining options range from Grand Lux Cafe and P.F. Chang's to Seasons 52, Texas de Brazil, and Matchbox.
AC Hotels by Marriott stands on site as an eight-story, 174-room property with a rooftop event space and direct proximity to more than 350 stores.
Parking garages, surface lots, and hotel facilities together keep traffic circulating through the campus.
With more than 21 million annual visitors, Sawgrass Mills operates as a retail and hospitality center that combines outlet shopping, full-service dining, and lodging under one address.