Merritt Square Mall
A shopping mall in Merritt Island, Florida, and the oldest enclosed mall in Brevard County.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Merritt Square Mall is a regional shopping mall in Merritt Island, Florida, serving communities in Brevard County and the surrounding Space Coast area. It opened in 1970 and is identified as the oldest mall in Brevard County. The property is a conventional enclosed retail center whose tenant mix has historically been anchored by department stores and supplemented by specialty retailers, restaurants, services, and value-oriented formats. The mall opened with three principal department-store anchors: Jordan Marsh, Ivey's, and J. C. Penney. Over time, the first two anchor identities changed as their parent retail operations were consolidated or rebranded. The Jordan Marsh location became Burdines and ultimately Macy's, while Ivey's became Dillard's. These changes illustrate the mall's dependence on the wider department-store sector and on the replacement of legacy regional chains by larger national or multi-state operators. Merritt Square remained substantially unchanged during its early years, but a renovation and expansion plan announced in 1985 proposed adding approximately 60,000 square feet of retail space. A fourth department-store anchor, Sears, was added during this period and opened in 1989. Sears replaced an existing store in Rockledge, extending the mall's role as a major department-store destination for the area. The property's ownership history has included several institutional and real-estate owners. John Hancock Life Insurance Co. sold the mall to Bayview Malls LLC in 2002. Bayview later sold it to Thor Merritt Square LLC in 2005. Glimcher Realty Trust took control in 2007, and ownership arrangements subsequently shifted to WP Glimcher after that company's formation through a 2015 merger. In 2016, the property was foreclosed on and offered at auction without receiving a bid. It is now owned by Namdar Realty Group. The mall's later tenant changes reflect broader pressures affecting enclosed shopping centers, including retail bankruptcies and the departure of traditional department-store operators. Sports Authority joined the center in 2013 but closed in 2016 after its parent chain filed for bankruptcy. Ollie's Bargain Outlet subsequently opened in the former Sports Authority space in 2018, adding a discount-oriented retailer to the tenant mix. Sears announced in 2021 that its Merritt Square location would close as part of a nationwide store-closing program; the store ceased operations on May 2, 2021. The former Sears space remains identified as a vacant anchor in the available reference material. The mall's listed principal anchors are J. C. Penney, Dillard's, Macy's, and Ollie's Bargain Outlet, alongside one vacant anchor formerly occupied by Sears. Its business proposition is therefore based on physical retail leasing and destination shopping rather than on a proprietary consumer product. Merritt Square Mall remains an active local retail property, although its ownership changes, anchor turnover, and vacant department-store space reflect the restructuring of the American shopping-mall industry.
History
Merritt Square Mall opened in 1970 in Merritt Island, Florida. It became the first major enclosed shopping mall in the area and is described in the reference material as the oldest mall in Brevard County. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Jordan Marsh, Ivey's, and J. C. Penney. These stores gave the property a traditional department-store foundation, while smaller tenants occupied the interior retail corridors. The mall's original anchor identities changed as department-store chains were absorbed, rebranded, or replaced. Jordan Marsh later became Burdines and eventually Macy's. Ivey's was subsequently replaced by Dillard's. J. C. Penney continued as one of the mall's principal anchors. These transitions preserved the role of the anchor spaces while changing the brands presented to shoppers. For much of its first fifteen years, the mall reportedly remained unchanged. In 1985, a renovation plan was announced that would add approximately 60,000 square feet of retail area. The expansion also included a fourth department-store anchor. Sears opened at the mall in 1989, taking the place of an existing Sears store in Rockledge and broadening Merritt Square's department-store offering. Ownership changed several times during the twenty-first century. In 2002, John Hancock Life Insurance Co. sold the mall to Bayview Malls LLC for $32.7 million. Bayview sold it in 2005 to Thor Merritt Square LLC for $64.4 million. Glimcher Realty Trust took control in 2007. After the formation of WP Glimcher through a 2015 merger, the property's ownership or control structure shifted to that organization. In 2016, the mall was foreclosed on and put up for auction while under WP Glimcher; the auction attracted no bidders. Namdar Realty Group is identified as the current owner in the reference material. The tenant base later experienced the effects of retail-sector consolidation and bankruptcy. Sports Authority joined the mall in 2013, but its store closed in 2016 after the chain entered bankruptcy proceedings. The former space was subsequently reused by Ollie's Bargain Outlet, which opened in 2018. This change moved the space from sporting goods toward discount and closeout retail. Sears remained one of the mall's major anchors until 2021. On February 15 of that year, Sears announced that the Merritt Island location would close as part of a national closure plan covering 34 stores. The store closed on May 2, 2021. The mall is consequently described as having four active anchor stores—J. C. Penney, Dillard's, Macy's, and Ollie's Bargain Outlet—and one vacant anchor formerly occupied by Sears. Its history combines long-term local importance with the ownership turnover, department-store contraction, and tenant repositioning that have characterized many United States enclosed malls.
- 2021
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closes on May 2 after being included in a national store-closing program.
- 2018
Ollie's Bargain Outlet opens
[1]Ollie's Bargain Outlet opens in the former Sports Authority location.
- 2016
Foreclosure auction receives no bids
[1]The mall is foreclosed on and auctioned while under WP Glimcher, but the auction attracts no bidders.
- 2015
WP Glimcher is formed through merger
[1]Ownership or control of the mall shifts to WP Glimcher following its formation through a merger.
- 2013
Sports Authority joins the tenant mix
[1]Sports Authority opens at the mall, occupying retail space later vacated by the chain.
- 2007
Glimcher Realty Trust takes control
[1]Glimcher Realty Trust takes control of the mall.
- 2005
Thor Merritt Square acquires the property
[1]Bayview Malls LLC sells the mall to Thor Merritt Square LLC.
- 2002
Bayview Malls acquires the property
[1]John Hancock Life Insurance Co. sells the mall to Bayview Malls LLC.
- 1989
Sears opens as fourth department-store anchor
[1]Sears opens at Merritt Square Mall, replacing an existing Sears store in Rockledge.
- 1985
Renovation and expansion plan announced
[1]A plan is announced to add approximately 60,000 square feet of retail space and introduce a fourth department-store anchor.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Merritt Island and the wider Brevard County market, with a tenant mix built around department stores, value retail, specialty shops, and services.
Shopping mall · 1970
Enclosed retail mall space
The mall's core offering is leasable enclosed retail space arranged around department-store anchors and smaller specialty tenants. It provides a physical shopping destination for Merritt Island and nearby Brevard County communities, combining department stores, discount retail, services, food, and other in-person retail uses.
Department stores · 1970
Department-store anchors
Department stores have been central to the mall's identity since its opening. The original Jordan Marsh and Ivey's locations were later associated with Burdines, Macy's, and Dillard's, while J. C. Penney remained part of the anchor lineup. The current reference material identifies Macy's, Dillard's, and J. C. Penney among the active anchors.
Discount retail · 2018
Ollie's Bargain Outlet
Ollie's Bargain Outlet is a value-oriented anchor that opened in 2018 in the former Sports Authority space. Its presence adds discount and closeout merchandise to the mall's department-store and specialty-retail mix.
Department-store space · 1989
Former Sears anchor
Sears served as the mall's fourth department-store anchor from its 1989 opening until its closure in 2021. The space is identified in the reference material as a vacant anchor after the store's departure.
Brand decisions
2021
Close the Sears anchorOtherBackground
Sears included the Merritt Island store in a nationwide plan to close 34 locations.
Action taken
The Sears store closed on May 2, 2021.
Aftermath
The former Sears location became a vacant anchor space in the mall's reported lineup.
2018
Replace Sports Authority with Ollie's Bargain OutletProduct launchBackground
Sports Authority closed its mall location in 2016 after the retail chain filed for bankruptcy.
Action taken
Ollie's Bargain Outlet opened in the former Sports Authority space.
Aftermath
The mall retained an anchor-sized tenant while shifting the space toward discount and closeout retail.
1985
Expand and renovate the mallStrategyBackground
The mall had operated without major reported changes since opening in 1970 and was seeking additional retail capacity.
Action taken
A renovation plan was announced that would add approximately 60,000 square feet of retail space and support a fourth department-store anchor.
Aftermath
Sears opened as the fourth department-store anchor in 1989.
Sources1 sources
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