Lakeshore Mall
Lakeshore Mall is a regional enclosed shopping center in Sebring, Florida.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Lakeshore Mall is a regional, enclosed shopping center serving Sebring and the surrounding Highlands County area of central Florida. The mall opened in 1992 and contains approximately 495,972 square feet, or 46,077 square meters, of retail space. Its tenant mix has historically combined department stores, discount retail, entertainment, food-service businesses, fitness, and smaller specialty shops. The property has more than 65 store locations, a food court, and an AMC movie theater. The mall's anchor lineup has changed substantially over time. Bealls and Belk have been long-standing department-store anchors, while Kmart and Sears formerly occupied major portions of the property. Kmart closed in January 2018 after Sears Holdings identified the store for closure in a nationwide reduction program. Sears itself closed in October 2019 following another nationwide store-closing announcement. JCPenney, another former anchor, announced in June 2020 that it would close its Lakeshore Mall location; the store subsequently left the center during the retail chain's broader restructuring. These closures reduced the traditional department-store presence and created opportunities for nontraditional and service-oriented uses. In May 2014, CBL & Associates Properties sold Lakeshore Mall to BVB Properties. Later repositioning included the use of former anchor space by Your Storage Units, which opened in the former Kmart area and used the available space for storage operations. The former JCPenney location also served a temporary public-health purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a coronavirus vaccination distribution site. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site in March 2021; the vaccination operation later closed. The property has also influenced nearby commercial development. Plaza By The Mall was built on adjoining property with the aim of benefiting from the recognition and customer draw associated with Lakeshore Mall. In the late 2000s, the center introduced a policy requiring high-school-aged youths and younger visitors to leave the property by 9 p.m., an unusual operating and security measure for a shopping mall. In the 2020s, the former Sears space was selected for a Rural King store. Construction and renovation activity were announced in 2025, followed by a reported soft opening on April 9, 2026, and a grand-opening ceremony on April 17, 2026. On the available information, Lakeshore Mall remains an active local retail and entertainment center, with its identity increasingly shaped by adaptive reuse of former department-store spaces as anchor retail, storage, services, and community uses.
History
Lakeshore Mall opened in 1992 as a regional enclosed shopping center in Sebring, Florida. Designed to serve the local and surrounding Highlands County market, the property was built around a large-format retail model combining department-store anchors with smaller specialty tenants, food service, and entertainment. The mall ultimately grew to approximately 495,972 square feet of retail space and more than 65 store locations. An AMC movie theater and food court added entertainment and destination functions beyond ordinary shopping. The center's drawing power encouraged adjacent commercial development. Plaza By The Mall was developed on neighboring property in an effort to benefit from the recognition and customer traffic associated with Lakeshore Mall. In late 2007, mall management adopted a policy requiring high-school-aged youths and younger visitors to leave the property by 9 p.m. The rule was an unusual operational response intended to regulate evening activity and manage the character of the property after that time. Ownership changed in May 2014, when CBL & Associates Properties sold the mall to BVB Properties. The property's retail profile then became increasingly affected by the national contraction of traditional department stores and discount chains. Sears Holdings announced in November 2017 that the Kmart store at Lakeshore Mall would close as part of a nationwide program. Kmart ceased operations on January 28, 2018. Sears later announced in August 2019 that its own Lakeshore Mall store would close within another national closure program, and that location shut in October 2019. JCPenney became the next major anchor to leave. On June 4, 2020, the company included the Lakeshore Mall location in a plan to close 154 stores. Its departure further reduced the number of conventional department-store anchors, leaving Bealls and Belk as the principal traditional department-store anchors identified in the available account. The former JCPenney space subsequently gained a temporary civic role during the COVID-19 pandemic when it was used as a coronavirus vaccination distribution site. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited the site in March 2021, and the vaccination operation later ended. The former anchor spaces have also supported adaptive reuse. In the 2020s, Your Storage Units opened inside the former Kmart area and used the available building space for storage operations. This reflected a broader shift in the property's composition from a conventional department-store-led mall toward a mixed commercial center that could accommodate retail, services, storage, fitness, entertainment, and community functions. In 2025, Rural King was announced as a prospective tenant for the former Sears building. Renovation and construction work began that year. The available reference account reports a public soft opening on April 9, 2026, followed by a grand-opening ceremony on April 17, 2026. Together with the continued presence of other anchors and amenities, the Rural King project represents another effort to reactivate large-format space and preserve the mall's role as a regional commercial destination.
- 2026
Rural King reported to open
[1]The reference account reports a Rural King soft opening on April 9 and a grand-opening ceremony on April 17.
- 2025
Rural King redevelopment announced
[1]Rural King is announced for the former Sears space, and renovation work begins.
- 2021
Former JCPenney space serves as vaccination site
[1]The former JCPenney location is used for COVID-19 vaccine distribution; the governor visits in March.
- 2020
JCPenney closure announced
[1]JCPenney announces that its Lakeshore Mall location will close as part of a 154-store closure plan.
- 2019
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes in October following a nationwide store-closure announcement.
- 2018
Kmart closes
[1]The Kmart anchor closes on January 28 after being included in Sears Holdings' national closure program.
- 2014
Ownership transfers to BVB Properties
[1]CBL & Associates Properties sells the mall to BVB Properties.
- 2007
Youth curfew policy introduced
[1]The mall requires high-school-aged youths and younger visitors to leave the property by 9 p.m.
- 1992
Mall opens
[1]Lakeshore Mall opens as an enclosed regional shopping center in Sebring, Florida.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping and entertainment destination for Sebring and nearby communities, combining anchor retail, specialty stores, dining, cinema, and repurposed large-format commercial space.
Shopping mall · 1992
Regional enclosed shopping center
Lakeshore Mall provides enclosed retail space organized around anchor stores and a broad collection of specialty tenants. Its reported footprint is approximately 495,972 square feet, with more than 65 store locations serving Sebring and nearby communities.
Dining and entertainment
Food court and entertainment
The mall complements retail with a food court and an AMC movie theater, helping position the property as a destination for shopping, dining, and leisure rather than only a collection of stores.
Commercial real estate
Adaptive-reuse anchor spaces
Former department-store and discount-store spaces have been repurposed for uses including Your Storage Units, a COVID-19 vaccination site, and the planned Rural King store. These conversions broaden the mall's tenant and community-service mix.
Brand decisions
2025
Prepared former Sears space for Rural KingProduct launchBackground
The mall sought a new large-format use for the former Sears anchor building.
Action taken
Rural King was announced as a tenant and began renovating the existing space.
Aftermath
The reference account reports a soft opening in April 2026 followed by a grand-opening ceremony later that month.
2020
Repurposed former JCPenney space for vaccine distributionStrategyBackground
The closure of the JCPenney anchor coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and demand for large public vaccination venues.
Action taken
The former JCPenney location was used as a coronavirus vaccine distribution site.
Aftermath
The site hosted vaccination activity and received a March 2021 visit from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis before the operation closed.
2014
Changed ownership from CBL & Associates Properties to BVB PropertiesM&ABackground
CBL & Associates Properties owned the mall before the transaction.
Action taken
CBL & Associates Properties sold Lakeshore Mall to BVB Properties in May 2014.
Aftermath
BVB Properties became the identified owner. The transaction price and subsequent operating strategy are not stated in the available sources.
2007
Introduced an evening youth departure policyStrategyBackground
In late 2007, the mall adopted a rule affecting high-school-aged youths and younger visitors.
Action taken
Required those visitors to leave the property by 9 p.m.
Aftermath
The policy is documented as an unusual operating measure; its later status and measurable effect are not specified.
Sources2 sources
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