Midtown DeSoto Square Mall
DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping center in Bradenton, Florida, that operated from 1973 until its permanent closure in 2021.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall located near the intersection of U.S. Route 301 and Cortez Road in Bradenton, Florida. Developed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation and opened in 1973, it served the retail needs of Bradenton and surrounding Manatee County communities for nearly five decades. The center was initially planned as Bradenton Mall, but local officials objected to that name because the property was outside Bradenton's city limits. The developers instead adopted the DeSoto name, connecting the project with the area's annual DeSoto Celebration. The mall opened on August 15, 1973, with approximately 37 stores and three planned major anchors: Sears, JCPenney, and Maas Brothers. JCPenney opened in January 1974, while Montgomery-Roberts joined the center in late 1973. Piccadilly Cafeteria was an early dining tenant and remained for many years, reflecting the pre-food-court model common in American malls. The property expanded its anchor lineup with Belk-Lindsey in 1979. Belk-Lindsey later sold its location to Dillard's, while Maas Brothers became part of Burdines after a corporate merger and was subsequently converted to Macy's. During its more successful decades, DeSoto Square hosted national department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, and entertainment uses. Ronald Reagan visited the mall in 1976 during a presidential campaign. A tropical-themed food court called Port O'Call opened in 1997, and Old Navy became a tenant in 2000. Burdines was renamed Burdines-Macy's in 2004 before the Burdines name was fully retired in 2005. These changes reflected broader consolidation in the American department-store sector. The mall entered a prolonged decline during the late 2000s and 2010s. The Great Recession contributed to the departure of Old Navy, Foot Locker, Waldenbooks, and Dillard's in 2009. The former Old Navy space was repurposed as the Saturn 5 family entertainment center in 2010. Simon Property Group, which had acquired the property through its 1996 purchase of DeBartolo, announced plans to sell the mall in 2012. Mason Asset Management acquired it later that year, and Meyer Lebovitz acquired it in 2017 through DeSoto Owners LLC. The property subsequently underwent several unsuccessful repositioning efforts. Macy's closed in 2014 after relocating to the Mall at University Town Center, and the mall's theater also closed that year. The former Macy's space briefly housed Your Treasure House, a retail and auction operation, beginning in 2018. The mall was temporarily promoted as Midtown DeSoto Square Mall in 2018 as part of a proposed renovation and expansion concept, but the rebranding was abandoned when the redevelopment plans did not proceed. Financial and occupancy pressures intensified after the former Sears store was slated for conversion to self-storage. The property defaulted on its mortgage in January 2020, and a foreclosure judgment was later entered. JCPenney announced its closure in June 2020, leaving Hudson's Furniture as the only remaining anchor. Bankruptcy filings by DeSoto Owners LLC delayed a scheduled foreclosure sale and provided additional time for financial restructuring. The mall permanently closed on April 30, 2021, with only four stores still operating. The former Sears building later became a Go Store It Self Storage facility. In 2024, Madison Communities announced plans supported by new financing to develop an apartment community on part of the former mall site, marking a transition from enclosed retail toward mixed-use and residential redevelopment.
History
The property originated in November 1971, when Bradenton Mall Corporation purchased approximately 100 acres along U.S. Route 301 and Cortez Road from 32 property owners. The site was outside Bradenton's municipal boundaries, prompting concern from Bradenton mayor A.K. Leach that the project could draw commerce away from downtown. The developer originally intended to call the center Bradenton Mall, but city officials rejected the name because the mall was not within the city. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation adopted DeSoto Square Mall instead, a name associated with the region's annual DeSoto Celebration. The mall opened on August 15, 1973, with roughly 37 stores. Sears, Maas Brothers, and JCPenney were designated as the original principal anchors, although JCPenney did not begin operations until January 1974. Montgomery-Roberts joined the center in November 1973. Piccadilly Cafeteria was an important early food tenant and operated until 2003, before the widespread adoption of food-court formats. In 1976, Ronald Reagan visited the mall while campaigning for president. Parking was expanded in 1978, requiring demolition of the former Suncoast Motel, which had originally opened as Pike's Court. Belk-Lindsey became a fourth anchor in June 1979 after leaving a nearby shopping center. The mall discussed adding a food court during the late 1980s, but the concept was not implemented until Port O'Call opened in April 1997. The new food court used a tropical theme and featured television performer Dawn Wells as a contest judge during its opening event. Old Navy joined the tenant mix in 2000. Anchor succession and retail consolidation shaped the mall's middle period. Burdines had expressed interest in the property as early as 1979, but it did not enter the center until 1991, when its corporate merger with Maas Brothers led to the rebranding of the former Maas Brothers store. Belk sold its mall location to Dillard's in 1992. Burdines became Burdines-Macy's in January 2004, and the Burdines name disappeared entirely in March 2005 when the stores were integrated into Macy's. The center's decline became more pronounced during the Great Recession. Old Navy, Foot Locker, Waldenbooks, and Dillard's all left in 2009. The former Old Navy area was converted into the Saturn 5 family entertainment center in 2010. Simon Property Group, which had acquired the mall through its 1996 purchase of DeBartolo, announced a sale process in 2012. Mason Asset Management acquired the property in November 2012. Macy's announced in 2014 that it would close its store and move to the newly developed Mall at University Town Center; the mall's theater also closed that year. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property into Seritage Growth Properties as part of a broader separation of real-estate assets. Meyer Lebovitz bought the mall in March 2017 for DeSoto Owners LLC and appointed Madison Properties USA to lead leasing and redevelopment. The site also served a temporary public purpose when FEMA used it as a disaster recovery center after Hurricane Irma in September 2017. The ownership group pursued a new identity and redevelopment concept in 2018. Your Treasure House opened in the former Macy's space in January, and the property was briefly branded Midtown DeSoto Square Mall in July. The proposed expansion and renovation did not proceed, and the Midtown branding was dropped. Your Treasure House closed in late 2019. Sears announced its own closure in October 2018, and plans were later made to convert the former anchor into self-storage. The mall's financial position deteriorated in 2020. Mortgage default occurred in January, followed by a foreclosure judgment. A foreclosure sale was postponed after DeSoto Owners LLC filed for bankruptcy shortly before the scheduled date; a later filing sought additional time to restructure the company's finances. JCPenney announced its closure in June 2020, leaving Hudson's Furniture as the only remaining anchor. DeSoto Square Mall officially closed on April 30, 2021, when only four stores remained. The former Sears building subsequently reopened as Go Store It Self Storage. In 2024, Madison Communities announced plans to develop apartments on part of the former mall property, illustrating the site's shift from traditional enclosed retail to storage and residential redevelopment.
- 2024
Residential redevelopment announced
[1]Madison Communities announced financing for an apartment community on part of the former site.
- 2021
Permanent closure
[1]The enclosed mall closed on April 30.
- 2018
Temporary Midtown rebranding
[1]The mall briefly used the Midtown DeSoto Square Mall name during a proposed redevelopment effort.
- 2017
Meyer Lebovitz acquires the property
[1]Meyer Lebovitz acquired the mall through DeSoto Owners LLC.
- 2014
Macy's and theater close
[1]Macy's left for Mall at University Town Center, and the mall theater closed.
- 2012
Mason Asset Management acquires the mall
[1]The property changed ownership after Simon Property Group announced a sale.
- 2009
Major tenant departures begin
[1]Old Navy, Foot Locker, Waldenbooks, and Dillard's departed during the recessionary downturn.
- 2005
Burdines name retired
[1]The Burdines identity was fully replaced by Macy's.
- 1997
Port O'Call food court opens
[1]The mall introduced its first documented food court, using a tropical theme.
- 1991
Maas Brothers becomes Burdines
[1]The Maas Brothers anchor was rebranded as Burdines following the companies' merger.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping center serving Bradenton and Manatee County, later repositioned unsuccessfully as a redevelopment-oriented property before closing and transitioning toward storage and residential uses.
Shopping center · 1973
Enclosed retail mall
The core offering was an enclosed regional shopping environment combining department-store anchors, specialty shops, restaurants, services, and later entertainment uses. The mall's tenant mix changed substantially as department-store chains consolidated and consumer traffic shifted toward newer retail developments.
Food court · 1997
Port O'Call
Port O'Call was a tropical-themed food court that opened in 1997, adding a consolidated dining area to a property that had previously relied on individual restaurants and cafeteria formats such as Piccadilly.
Family entertainment · 2010
Saturn 5
Saturn 5 was a family entertainment center created in the former Old Navy space after that retailer departed in 2009. It represented an attempt to replace conventional apparel retail with an experience-oriented use.
Self-storage · 2021
Go Store It Self Storage
Go Store It Self Storage occupies the former Sears anchor building. The conversion preserved a use for the large standalone structure after Sears closed and the enclosed mall ceased operations.
Brand decisions
2021
Close the enclosed mallStrategyBackground
The property faced severe tenant attrition, mortgage default, foreclosure proceedings, and bankruptcy-related delays.
Action taken
The mall permanently ceased operations on April 30, 2021.
Aftermath
The former Sears building became self-storage, while portions of the broader site moved toward residential redevelopment.
2019
Convert the former Sears anchor to self-storageStrategyBackground
Sears announced its closure amid continuing anchor-store losses and declining mall occupancy.
Action taken
The former Sears building was designated for conversion into a self-storage facility.
Aftermath
Go Store It Self Storage opened in the building in 2021.
2018
Attempt a Midtown rebranding and redevelopmentStrategyBackground
Owners sought to renovate and expand the aging property while repositioning it for new tenants.
Action taken
The center was briefly promoted as Midtown DeSoto Square Mall.
Aftermath
The redevelopment plans failed to materialize and the Midtown branding was dropped.
1973
Rename the project DeSoto Square MallStrategyBackground
The original Bradenton Mall name was considered unsuitable because the property was outside Bradenton's city limits.
Action taken
The developer adopted a name associated with the local DeSoto Celebration.
Aftermath
The DeSoto Square Mall identity was used for the center throughout its principal operating history.
Recent events
- 2024
Madison Communities announces apartment development financing[1]
Other
Madison Communities announced financing for an apartment community planned on a 7.5-acre portion of the former mall site.
- 2021
DeSoto Square Mall permanently closes[1]
Other
The enclosed mall ceased operations on April 30, 2021. Four stores were reportedly still operating at the time of closure.
- 2021
Go Store It Self Storage opens in the former Sears building[1]
Other
The former Sears space was repurposed as a Go Store It Self Storage facility occupying the building's full footprint.
- 2020
DeSoto Square Mall defaults on its mortgage[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The property entered mortgage default and later became subject to a foreclosure judgment. A bankruptcy filing by DeSoto Owners LLC delayed a scheduled foreclosure sale.
- 2020
JCPenney announces closure of its mall store[1]
Other
JCPenney announced that it would close its DeSoto Square location, leaving Hudson's Furniture as the mall's only remaining anchor tenant.
- 2019
Former Sears building planned for self-storage[1]
Other
The former Sears anchor was selected for conversion into a self-storage facility.
- 2018
Mall briefly adopts the Midtown DeSoto Square Mall name[1]
Other
The property was briefly marketed under the Midtown DeSoto Square Mall name as part of an intended renovation and expansion program.
- 2018
Sears announces closure of its mall store[1]
Other
Sears identified its DeSoto Square location for closure as part of a nationwide store-reduction program.
- 2017
Meyer Lebovitz acquires the property[1]
M&A
Meyer Lebovitz acquired the mall through DeSoto Owners LLC and selected Madison Properties USA to oversee redevelopment and leasing.
- 2017
FEMA uses the mall as a Hurricane Irma recovery center[1]
Other
Following Hurricane Irma, FEMA operated a disaster recovery center at the mall.
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