Lakeland Square Mall
An enclosed shopping mall in northern Lakeland, Florida, serving Polk County and positioned between Tampa and Orlando along the I-4 corridor.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Lakeland Square Mall is an enclosed shopping center in northern Lakeland, Florida. The property serves the wider Polk County market and is described as one of the area's two enclosed malls. Its location gives it a distinctive regional role: it is the only shopping destination of its type situated off Interstate 4 between the Tampa and Orlando metropolitan areas. The mall opened in 1988 after development by Edward J. DeBartolo and Homart. The center began with a traditional department-store anchor mix. Its original or early anchors included Mervyn's, Sears, and Belk, which had initially been signed as Belk-Lindsey. Maison Blanche was subsequently added after a planned Robinson's of Florida project changed course following Robinson's acquisition by Maison Blanche in 1987. J. C. Penney joined the property in 1990, and Burdines relocated from downtown Lakeland to the mall in 1994. This combination reflected the conventional enclosed-mall model of the period, with multiple department stores drawing customers for apparel, home goods, and general merchandise. The property's management history changed in the mid-1990s. General Growth Properties acquired Homart in 1995, after which management of Lakeland Square Mall was transferred to General Growth Properties. The anchor lineup then evolved through acquisitions, rebrandings, closures, and repurposing. Maison Blanche became part of Dillard's in 1998 and was converted into Dillard's North, while the former Mervyn's space became Dillard's South. In 2004, Burdines began the transition to Burdines-Macy's, completing its conversion to Macy's in 2005. Belk closed that year after a new Belk store opened at Lakeside Village, and the vacant anchor space later became a Burlington Coat Factory. The mall continued to adapt as department-store demand weakened. Dillard's South ceased operating in 2012, consolidating Dillard's into the former Maison Blanche location. The former Mervyn's building was demolished in 2012, and its site was redeveloped with a 12-screen Cinemark movie theater and a Sports Authority store. The complex opened in 2013, broadening the property's offer beyond conventional retail. Sports Authority later closed following the chain's 2016 liquidation, and Urban Air Adventure Park occupied the space in August 2018. Other anchor changes included Macy's closure in 2017, Sears's closure in 2018, and the later use of the former Macy's premises by Resale America from November 2019. Burlington closed its Lakeland Square Mall store in 2022 and relocated across the street to the Shoppes of Lakeland. After Resale America closed in 2024, Bin Chasers opened in the former space, adding a discount-oriented merchandise concept to the center. The former Sears property has also been considered for redevelopment. Flacks Group initially proposed converting the closed store into a 320-unit luxury apartment complex with one- to three-bedroom units, a clubhouse, pool deck, dog park, yoga garden, and direct access to the mall. Those plans subsequently shifted toward a mixed-use apartment development. The mall's current anchor and attraction mix includes Dillard's, Bin Chasers Lakeland, J. C. Penney, Urban Air Adventure Park, and Cinemark Theatres. Its history illustrates the transition of a traditional department-store mall toward a more diversified combination of retail, entertainment, discount merchandise, and possible residential uses.
History
Lakeland Square Mall opened in 1988 in northern Lakeland, Florida. It was developed by Edward J. DeBartolo and Homart as a conventional enclosed regional mall intended to serve Lakeland and the broader Polk County area. The center's early anchor lineup included Mervyn's, Sears, and Belk, which had originally been contracted as Belk-Lindsey. Maison Blanche joined the property after a planned Robinson's of Florida store was superseded following Robinson's acquisition by Maison Blanche in 1987. J. C. Penney became an additional anchor in 1990. In 1994, Burdines moved from downtown Lakeland into the mall, strengthening the center's department-store offer. Management arrangements changed in 1995 when General Growth Properties acquired Homart and subsequently assumed management of Lakeland Square Mall. A series of corporate transactions and store reconfigurations reshaped the property in the late 1990s and 2000s. After Dillard's acquired Maison Blanche, the Maison Blanche location became Dillard's North in 1998. The former Mervyn's building was converted into Dillard's South, dividing Dillard's women's merchandise from men's, children's, and home departments. Burdines became Burdines-Macy's in 2004 and completed its transition to Macy's in 2005. Belk closed in 2005 after a new store opened at Lakeside Village. Burlington Coat Factory eventually occupied the former Belk space, opening there in fall 2007. The mall later moved away from a purely department-store-centered model. Dillard's South closed in 2012, with Dillard's consolidating in the former Maison Blanche building. The former Mervyn's structure was demolished that year. Its site was redeveloped with a 12-screen Cinemark Theatres and a Sports Authority store, both opening in 2013. The project introduced a significant entertainment component while retaining large-format retail. The Sears property was included among 235 properties sold by Sears Holdings to Seritage Growth Properties in 2015. Sports Authority closed in 2016 when the chain ceased operations nationally, and the vacant space was later reused by Urban Air Adventure Park, which opened in August 2018. Macy's left the mall in 2017. Resale America subsequently occupied the former Macy's space beginning in November 2019. Sears itself closed in 2018 as part of a 142-store closure round. Charlotte Russe, which had closed earlier in 2018, later reopened as part of the retailer's stated plan to open 100 stores in 2019. Burlington closed its mall location in 2022 and moved across the street to the Shoppes of Lakeland. The vacant Sears building became the subject of redevelopment planning. Flacks Group initially proposed a 320-unit luxury apartment project with one-, two-, and three-bedroom homes, a clubhouse, pool deck, dog park, yoga garden, and direct mall access. The proposal later shifted toward a mixed-use development incorporating apartments, although the available reference material does not establish a completed project or final ownership arrangement. Resale America closed in 2024. Bin Chasers then opened in the former space as a discount merchandise anchor. The mall's current reported anchors and major attractions are Dillard's, Bin Chasers Lakeland, J. C. Penney, Urban Air Adventure Park, and Cinemark Theatres. Lakeland Square Mall remains an active enclosed center whose tenant strategy reflects the broader evolution of American malls: department stores are supplemented or replaced by discount retail, entertainment, resale, and potential mixed-use redevelopment.
- 2024
Bin Chasers opens
[1]Bin Chasers opened in the former Resale America space as a discount merchandise anchor.
- 2022
Burlington relocates
[1]Burlington closed at Lakeland Square Mall and moved to the Shoppes of Lakeland across the street.
- 2019
Resale America occupies former Macy's space
[1]Resale America opened in the former Macy's anchor location in November.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]Sears closed as part of a broader 142-store closure round.
- 2018
Urban Air Adventure Park opens
[1]Urban Air Adventure Park opened in the space previously occupied by Sports Authority.
- 2017
Macy's closes
[1]Macy's ended operations at the mall.
- 2015
Sears property transferred to Seritage
[1]The Sears property was among 235 properties sold by Sears Holdings to Seritage Growth Properties.
- 2013
Cinemark and Sports Authority complex opens
[1]A 12-screen Cinemark Theatre and Sports Authority complex opened on the former Mervyn's site.
- 2012
Dillard's South closes and former Mervyn's building is demolished
[1]Dillard's consolidated into the former Maison Blanche store, and the former Mervyn's anchor was removed for redevelopment.
- 2007
Burlington opens in former Belk space
[1]Burlington Coat Factory filled the former Belk anchor space in fall 2007.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment center serving Lakeland and Polk County, with a tenant mix that combines department stores, discount retail, family entertainment, and cinema.
Department store · 1998
Dillard's
Dillard's is the mall's principal traditional department-store anchor. Its presence dates to the conversion of Maison Blanche in 1998, when the former Maison Blanche store became Dillard's North and the former Mervyn's building became Dillard's South. After Dillard's South closed in 2012, the retailer consolidated its mall operations in the former Maison Blanche location.
Department store · 1990
J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney joined Lakeland Square Mall in 1990 and remains one of the center's reported active anchors. The store represents the mall's continuing connection to the conventional American department-store format, offering apparel, accessories, home merchandise, and related general retail categories.
Discount merchandise retailer · 2024
Bin Chasers Lakeland
Bin Chasers opened in 2024 in the former Resale America space. It sells heavily discounted merchandise across a wide variety of categories and functions as a newer discount-oriented anchor for the mall.
Cinema and entertainment · 2013
Cinemark Theatres
The mall's 12-screen Cinemark theatre opened in 2013 on the redeveloped site of the former Mervyn's anchor. It expanded the center's role from a primarily shopping-focused destination into a combined retail and entertainment venue.
Family entertainment · 2018
Urban Air Adventure Park
Urban Air Adventure Park opened in August 2018 in the former Sports Authority space. The attraction provides an indoor family-recreation use within the mall and illustrates the property's strategy of replacing conventional large-format retail with experiential tenants.
Brand decisions
2024
Discount retail replaces Resale AmericaStrategyBackground
Resale America closed its store in the former Macy's anchor space.
Action taken
Bin Chasers opened in the space as a discount merchandise anchor.
Aftermath
The change maintained occupancy while moving the mall's large-format merchandise offer toward heavily discounted goods.
2018
Conversion of former Sports Authority space to family entertainmentStrategyBackground
Sports Authority vacated its space after the chain ceased operations in 2016.
Action taken
Urban Air Adventure Park opened in the space in August 2018.
Aftermath
The replacement shifted the space from traditional retail toward experiential and family-oriented entertainment.
2012
Redevelopment of the former Mervyn's siteStrategyBackground
The former Mervyn's anchor had become surplus after Dillard's consolidated its operations into the former Maison Blanche building.
Action taken
The building was demolished and replaced by a 12-screen Cinemark Theatres and Sports Authority complex, which opened in 2013.
Aftermath
The project diversified the mall's tenant mix by adding cinema and large-format sporting-goods uses, although Sports Authority later closed and was replaced by Urban Air Adventure Park.
- Proposed mixed-use redevelopment of former Sears propertyStrategy
Background
After Sears closed, Flacks Group considered reusing the vacant property for residential development linked directly to the mall.
Action taken
The initial proposal called for a 320-unit luxury apartment complex. The concept later shifted toward a mixed-use development with apartments.
Aftermath
The available reference material does not confirm a completed project, final design, or final ownership arrangement.
Recent events
- 2024
Bin Chasers opened in former Resale America space[1]
Product launch
Bin Chasers opened as an anchor tenant in the space previously occupied by Resale America, selling deeply discounted merchandise across a broad range of categories.
- 2018
Urban Air Adventure Park replaced Sports Authority[1]
Product launch
Urban Air Adventure Park opened in August 2018 in the space vacated after Sports Authority ceased operations.
- 2018
Sears closed at Lakeland Square Mall[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The Sears store closed as part of a company-wide round involving 142 store closures.
- 2013
Cinemark and Sports Authority complex opened[1]
Product launch · Other
A new 12-screen Cinemark Theatre and Sports Authority complex opened on the site of the demolished former Mervyn's anchor building.
- 1998
Maison Blanche space converted into Dillard's North[1]
M&A · Other
Following Dillard's acquisition of Maison Blanche, the former Maison Blanche store became Dillard's North, while the former Mervyn's building became Dillard's South.
Sources2 sources
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