Coastland Center

Coastland Center is a regional shopping mall in Naples, Florida, serving the retail and entertainment needs of Southwest Florida. The property was developed in the mid-1970s and began opening in stages in 1977. Its first department-store tenants were Maas Brothers, a Tampa-based chain, and Sears. Maas Brothers opened on February 3, 1977, Sears followed on July 27, and the first L-shaped interior mall section opened on September 28 of the same year. The center was designed as a largely single-level enclosed mall, while most of its anchor stores were constructed with two floors. The mall expanded significantly in 1985. JCPenney opened on February 6, and Robinson's of Florida opened on October 20, giving Coastland Center additional department-store capacity on its eastern side. Robinson's Florida operations were sold to Maison Blanche in 1987, and the Naples location was rebranded in 1988. Maison Blanche subsequently sold the store to Dillard's in 1991, establishing one of the anchor identities that remains associated with the property. The original Maas Brothers store also changed identities as Florida department-store ownership evolved. It became Burdines in October 1991, was rebranded Burdines-Macy's in January 2004, and adopted the Macy's name fully in March 2005. Macy's continues to operate at the mall. These changes illustrate Coastland Center's role as a conventional department-store-led shopping center whose tenant mix has been shaped by retail consolidation and regional chain acquisitions. A further redevelopment program carried out from 1995 to 1996 concentrated on expanding and modernizing the anchors and common areas. Sears and Burdines added second floors, while Dillard's constructed a new two-story building behind its previous store. The former Dillard's building was removed and replaced by a larger food court and additional mall space linking to the new store. JCPenney expanded eastward and gained another mall entrance opposite the food court. Parking garages were also added. The property underwent another renovation in 2006. Coastland Center later experienced the national decline of traditional department stores. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property, along with hundreds of other real-estate assets, into Seritage Growth Properties. Sears announced in August 2018 that the Coastland Center store would close as part of a nationwide round of closures; the location shut in November 2018. The former Sears building was demolished in July 2019, and plans were developed for a CMX Cinemas theater and other uses on the former Seritage-controlled site. The cinema opened on October 1, 2021, adding a major entertainment component to the center's post-department-store redevelopment. Today, Coastland Center combines department stores, specialty retail, dining, a food court, and entertainment uses. The food court has historically been identified as one of the mall's principal attractions. Its long operating history, repeated anchor changes, and conversion of a former department-store site into a cinema reflect the broader transition of enclosed American malls from department-store-centered retail destinations toward more mixed retail, food, and leisure environments.

Coastland Center was developed in Naples during the growth of enclosed suburban shopping malls in the 1970s. Although the property is commonly identified as having opened in 1976, its initial stores and first interior mall section opened during 1977. Maas Brothers was the first store to open, on February 3, 1977, followed by Sears on July 27. The initial L-shaped mall section between the two stores opened on September 28. The center's first major expansion came in 1985, when JCPenney and Robinson's of Florida joined the property as additional anchors. Robinson's remained for only about two years before its Florida stores were sold to Maison Blanche. The Naples store was formally renamed Maison Blanche in March 1988. In August 1991, Maison Blanche sold the location to Dillard's, which replaced it as an anchor. The original Maas Brothers store followed another chain transition, becoming Burdines in October 1991. From 1995 through 1996, Coastland Center underwent a broad physical expansion. Sears and Burdines received second floors, Dillard's built a new two-story building, and the previous Dillard's structure was replaced by a larger food court and new mall space. JCPenney expanded toward the east and gained a second mall entrance. Parking garages were also added. Burdines later became Burdines-Macy's in 2004 and Macy's in 2005. A further renovation took place in 2006. The mall's later history reflects the restructuring of American department-store retail. In 2015, the Sears real-estate asset was transferred to Seritage Growth Properties in connection with Sears Holdings' property spin-off. Sears announced the closure of its Coastland Center store in August 2018, and the store closed in November. The building was demolished in July 2019. Redevelopment plans called for a CMX Cinemas theater and other outparcel uses, including proposed restaurant sites. CMX opened on October 1, 2021. Coastland Center remains an active enclosed shopping center in Naples. Its current identity is based on a combination of Macy's, JCPenney, Dillard's, specialty stores, food service, and entertainment rather than the original Sears anchor. The center's food court and cinema contribute to a broader destination-oriented offer that supplements conventional retail.

• 2021

  CMX Cinemas opens

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  A cinema opened on the redeveloped former Sears site on October 1.

• 2018

  Sears closes

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Coastland Center Sears store closed in November after being included in a nationwide closure announcement.

• 2015

  Sears real-estate asset enters Seritage

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Sears property was included in Sears Holdings' spin-off of real-estate assets to Seritage Growth Properties.

• 2006

  Mall renovation completed

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Coastland Center received a further renovation after the 1995–1996 expansion.

• 2005

  Burdines fully transitions to Macy's

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The Burdines name was dropped after the Burdines-Macy's transition, leaving Macy's as the store identity.

• 1995

  Second major expansion begins

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The center began a substantial redevelopment focused on larger anchors, new mall space, a food court, entrances, and parking facilities.

• 1991

  Dillard's and Burdines join the anchor lineup

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The former Maison Blanche location became Dillard's, while the original Maas Brothers store became Burdines.

• 1985

  Major expansion adds two anchors

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  JCPenney and Robinson's of Florida opened as new eastern anchors.

• 1977

  Initial stores and mall section open

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Maas Brothers opened in February, Sears in July, and the first L-shaped interior mall section in September.

• 1976

  Coastland Center is established

  [1]Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org

  The shopping center was developed and identified as opening in the mid-1970s.

A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving Naples and the surrounding Southwest Florida market, with a department-store anchor base supplemented by specialty retail, dining, food-court, and cinema uses.

• Department store · 2005

  Macy's

  Macy's is one of Coastland Center's principal department-store anchors. The location traces its history to the Maas Brothers store that opened in 1977, later becoming Burdines, Burdines-Macy's, and finally Macy's in 2005. It provides broad apparel, accessories, beauty, household, and seasonal merchandise.

• Department store · 1985

  JCPenney

  JCPenney opened at Coastland Center in 1985 as one of the mall's expansion anchors. The store provides a general department-store assortment, including clothing, accessories, beauty products, home merchandise, and seasonal goods.

• Department store · 1991

  Dillard's

  Dillard's took over the Naples Maison Blanche location in 1991 and remains an anchor at Coastland Center. Its department-store offer spans fashion, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, and related merchandise. During the 1995–1996 expansion, Dillard's constructed a larger two-story building.

• Dining · 1996

  Food court

  The food court was created as part of the 1995–1996 redevelopment, replacing the former Dillard's building with a larger dining-focused area and additional connecting mall space. It has been described as one of the center's principal attractions and supports the mall's role as a social and leisure destination.

• Cinema and entertainment · 2021

  CMX Cinemas

  CMX Cinemas opened on the former Sears site on October 1, 2021. Its arrival converted a vacant former department-store parcel into an entertainment use and broadened Coastland Center's offer beyond shopping and dining.

• 2018

  Close the Sears anchor and redevelop the siteStrategy

  Background

  Sears was reducing its store network as its retail business contracted, and the Coastland Center property had previously entered Seritage Growth Properties.

  Action taken

  Sears closed the store in November 2018; the building was demolished in 2019 and the site was prepared for new entertainment and outparcel uses.

  Aftermath

  CMX Cinemas opened on the former Sears parcel in 2021, replacing a traditional department-store use with an entertainment anchor.

  Source

• 1995

  Undertake a major physical redevelopmentStrategy

  Background

  The mall required additional space and stronger common-area and anchor facilities as its retail footprint matured.

  Action taken

  Coastland Center expanded anchor stores, built a new two-story Dillard's, created a larger food court, extended JCPenney, added a mall entrance, and constructed parking garages.

  Aftermath

  The redevelopment strengthened the center's food, circulation, parking, and department-store offer and was followed by another renovation in 2006.

  Source

• 1985

  Expand the center with additional anchor storesStrategy

  Background

  Coastland Center expanded its eastern side during a period when department stores were central to enclosed-mall traffic generation.

  Action taken

  The center added JCPenney and Robinson's of Florida as new anchor stores.

  Aftermath

  The Robinson's location later changed ownership and identities, eventually becoming a Dillard's store.

  Source

1. 1Coastland Centeren.wikipedia.org