Once the Future: Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach
Volusia Mall opened in 1974, during a time when covered malls felt like modern marvels, air-conditioned, massive, and filled with promise. For shoppers in Daytona Beach, the 93-acre project off U.S. Highway 92 became a weekend fixture.
Anchored first by Ivey’s and May-Cohens, then joined by Sears and JCPenney, it wasn’t built as an afterthought. The mall pulled from both the coast and the inland suburbs. When people talk about things to do in Daytona Beach, Florida, the mall is often still in the conversation decades later.
That staying power isn’t accidental. It has changed hands, lost anchors, gained new tenants, and absorbed several waves of retail shakeups.
But its bones, the original 1970s blueprint, still shape how the space functions. This is where the story begins.
Launch, Layout, and the Original Anchor Strategy
By mid-October 1974, Volusia Mall opened its doors on land framed by three major highways.
The developers didn’t skimp: they planned for large-scale traffic, and they got it. The first anchor to open was Ivey’s, followed by May-Cohens two months later.
Sears came online in February 1975, and JCPenney followed that August. Three of those four anchors opened as two-level stores, a structural decision that mirrored what developers used at Coastland Center and Orange Park Mall.
JCPenney, however, stayed single-level.
The initial tenant list also included Walgreens and a tri-screen theater. Walgreens eventually moved out, and its space was reworked into an entrance. The theater was no longer viable, but it later became a storefront church.
Volusia’s core infrastructure, retail bays, anchor pads, and internal corridors set a template that developers expanded in March 1982.
That expansion added Burdines and Belk-Lindsey, both in two-level configurations and pushed the mall past the 1-million-square-foot mark.
Each step followed the model: steady growth, no gimmicks.
Anchor Turnover and Brand Swaps (2005–2021)
Retail anchors rarely stay forever, and Volusia Mall proved that. After decades in place, some of the mall’s biggest names started pulling out.
In 2003, Burdines began transitioning into a dual-branded format as Burdines-Macy’s. By 2005, the Burdines name had disappeared entirely, replaced by plain Macy’s signage that would remain for sixteen years.
Then came a stretch of major closures. On December 28, 2018, Sears was listed among 80 nationwide shutdowns announced by its parent company.
The Daytona Beach location shuttered on March 10, 2019. By April, the former Sears space had been sold to Transform Saleco LLC for $5.9 million.
There was no public-facing redevelopment plan for the space at the time, and there still isn’t.
The next exit was Macy’s. The retailer announced in January 2021 that 46 more stores would close as part of a national downsizing strategy. Volusia Mall’s Macy’s was among them.
Its final day of operation was March 21, 2021. These closures left JCPenney and the three Dillard’s storefronts as the primary anchor tenants.
That configuration remains unusual. Most malls do not split a single department store brand across multiple buildings, but here, Dillard’s controls three.
Food, Foot Traffic, and Redevelopment Leases (2015–2024)
The Sears Auto Center wasn’t left to sit idle. In 2015, Volusia Mall owner CBL & Associates started reworking that space into outparcel dining and service units.
Bonefish Grill, Aspen Dental, Metro Diner, and other leases followed. Instead of replacing anchors, this shift leaned into smaller footprints with steady foot traffic.
Renovations also touched common areas, especially those closer to the dining area. National fast-food chains still filled some spots, but local and regional vendors became part of the mix again. That helped patch traffic gaps between seasonal surges.
The mall’s placement continues to be one of its biggest advantages. Sitting next to Daytona International Speedway and just off I-95, the location pulls race fans, tourists, and shoppers in large numbers several times a year.
Daytona 500 week, Bike Week, and other large events directly impact occupancy and short-term tenant success. This proximity kept Volusia Mall viable even as other regional malls stalled out or hollowed out.
Between 2015 and 2024, the balance between retail and dining became a matter of tenant strategy more than customer demand.
Events, Holiday Programming, and Traffic Drivers (2024–2025)
Volusia Mall hasn’t leaned only on retail to stay relevant. Seasonal events still draw people, even in the age of digital calendars and impulse shipping.
From March 20 to April 19, 2024, the Easter Bunny set up inside the mall. The event ran daily, with specific dates set aside for pet photography.
That addition helped keep traffic steady through spring break.
For Daytona’s busy February, the mall’s role expands. In 2025, Speedweek ran from February 13 to 16. During that period, Volusia Mall organized parking for race crowds, then followed up with a “mermaid pageant” held on February 23.
These aren’t one-off stunts. They’re part of a pattern that’s repeated year over year.
The winter holidays brought more. Santa arrived on November 16, 2024, with photography scheduled from November 18 to December 24. Mondays and Tuesdays allowed pet visits, while a custom “Santa Mailroom” ran until December 16.
Leasing Shifts and Retail Tenant Updates (2025)
By early 2025, the list of tenants at Volusia Mall started changing again, but this time, it didn’t involve national brands.
The most talked-about arrival came in May: Native Home Marketplace opened inside the main concourse with a curated inventory of handcrafted goods and small-batch products.
It’s one of the few spaces in the building that doesn’t follow the usual mall-template lease model.
That opening wasn’t an isolated case. Several independent stores were confirmed as new tenants between March and May.
Unlike previous years dominated by franchise expansions or department store drama, 2025 has leaned into local inventory and smaller-scale operations.
Redevelopment Leases and Multifamily Transition Plans (2022–2026)
The Macy’s closure in March 2021 created a large vacancy, but it didn’t sit idle for long. By January 2023, Legacy Partners stepped in.
The California-based real estate firm finalized plans to convert the former department store and its surrounding parcel into a residential development called Legacy Daytona.
The proposed layout spans four stories, with 350 rental units and gated access. It isn’t attached to the mall structure but occupies the same grounds, creating a hybrid footprint that blends housing with former retail land.
Legacy Daytona’s feature list includes a heated saltwater pool, a rooftop lounge, detached garages, a fitness center, and what was described as an outdoor “living room.” The development also allocates space for a dog park and an internal reflection courtyard.
Volusia County approved the redevelopment proposal in November 2022. Early site work was projected to begin in spring 2023.
CBL & Associates retains management of the overall mall property. The Legacy Daytona complex remains under separate control but shares utility infrastructure and zoning boundaries.
Now, completion of construction is scheduled for spring 2026, though current conditions suggest that the timeline is unlikely to hold.
As of June 2025, the redevelopment plans for the former Macy’s site have stalled well past their original timelines.
The project has missed several projected opening dates. Back in 2023, they expected the apartments to start leasing by summer 2024. That was later revised to winter.
But now, almost halfway through 2025, there are no signs of progress. No construction crews are on-site, no structural changes are visible, and no leasing banners or temporary signage have been posted.
The former Sears site tells a similar story. Originally pitched for residential use, then reimagined as a storage facility in 2024, the building remains dormant.
There’s no external prep work, no interior demo activity, and no posted permits or public notices suggesting anything is imminent.
Both properties, once tied to broader redevelopment plans, currently sit untouched.
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