Orlando Fashion Square
A two-story enclosed shopping mall in Orlando, Florida, with department-store anchors, specialty retailers, entertainment, fitness, and dining uses.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Orlando Fashion Square is a two-story indoor shopping mall in Orlando, Florida. The property opened on July 30, 1973, following the earlier development of a large Sears department store on the site in 1963. It was announced by developer Leonard L. Farber, whose other work included Pompano Square in Pompano Beach. The original mall plan connected the existing Sears store with new retail space and included Burdines as a principal anchor. Robinson's of Florida joined the center later in 1973, giving the mall a multi-department-store format typical of major American suburban shopping centers of the period. The mall has changed substantially through successive anchor-store conversions, renovations, closures, and redevelopment efforts. Robinson's of Florida was sold to Maison Blanche in 1988; the Maison Blanche operation was later rebranded as Gayfer's in 1992 and ultimately became part of Dillard's in 1998. Burdines became Macy's in 2005. Dillard's later converted its store into a Dillard's Clearance Center, reducing its occupied retail footprint and changing the store's role within the center. JCPenney opened a new location at the mall in 1993 after replacing its store at Winter Park Mall, but announced a closure in 2020 and ceased operations on October 18 of that year. Entertainment has also been part of the property's tenant mix. A freestanding movie theater operated on an outparcel from 1975 until 1989. A later Premiere Cinemas theater opened in 2004, and the cinema was rebuilt in 2014. The mall also added a bowling alley in 2014, complementing its retail offer with leisure uses. Other reported tenants and uses have included Planet Fitness, restaurants, and large-format home-improvement retail. Ownership shifted in 2013, when PREIT sold Orlando Fashion Square to UP Development, Inc. The new owner described redevelopment plans for the property. The mall subsequently experienced both repositioning and contraction. Sears announced in 2016 that it would close its store, which was demolished in 2017. The former Sears site was redeveloped with Floor & Decor and Orchard Supply Hardware planned for the replacement area, while nearby outparcels included LongHorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden. Dillard's remained in operation as a clearance-format anchor, and Macy's continued as another major anchor. The center has also lost a number of specialty tenants, including Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, The Limited, Claire's, Finish Line, Journeys, T-Mobile, Hot Topic, and Spencer Gifts, according to the available reference material. These departures reflect the broader pressure on enclosed malls from department-store rationalization, changing retail habits, and competition from open-air and digital formats. Nevertheless, Orlando Fashion Square remains an operating shopping center with retail, food, fitness, entertainment, and service-oriented uses. Its current anchor lineup is reported as Macy's, Floor & Decor, and Dillard's Clearance Center, with mall management handled by UP Development, Inc. The available material also reports the planned permanent closure of Premiere Cinemas 14 in March 2026 and a January 2026 vehicle collision involving the Dillard's store.
History
The earliest major retail operation on the Orlando Fashion Square site was a 173,000-square-foot Sears department store, which opened on October 30, 1963. The enclosed mall was announced in 1971 by developer Leonard L. Farber. Plans called for a center attached to the existing Sears building, with Burdines serving as another principal anchor. Orlando Fashion Square opened on July 30, 1973, with Burdines operating from the beginning. Robinson's of Florida opened on October 29, 1973, on the north side of the mall. It was the second Florida location of the newly established Florida division of California-based J. W. Robinson's. A freestanding movie theater was added to an outparcel in 1975 and remained there until 1989. The department-store composition changed in the late 1980s and 1990s. Robinson's Florida stores were sold to Maison Blanche in 1988. Maison Blanche built a replacement store northeast of the original Robinson's building in 1990, while the earlier structure was incorporated into additional mall space. The Maison Blanche operation became Gayfer's in 1992 and was later sold to Dillard's in 1998. JCPenney opened a new mall store in 1993, replacing its former location at Winter Park Mall. The mall received an interior renovation in 2002. In 2004, Premiere Cinemas opened a new theater in the mall. Burdines was converted to Macy's in 2005 as part of the broader national rebranding of the Burdines chain. Dillard's changed its format in 2014, operating as a clearance center and closing the second floor. The mall also added a bowling alley in 2014, while the cinema was rebuilt. During this period, several specialty retailers departed, including Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret, and The Limited. In 2013, PREIT sold the property to UP Development, Inc. for a reported $35 million. The new ownership group proposed redevelopment of the mall. A major subsequent change involved Sears. Sears Holdings spun off 235 properties, including the Orlando location, into Seritage Growth Properties in 2015. Sears announced the store's closure in August 2016, and the building was demolished in April 2017. Floor & Decor and Orchard Supply Hardware were identified as replacement developments, while restaurant outparcels on the former Sears-related site included LongHorn Steakhouse and Olive Garden. JCPenney announced in June 2020 that its Orlando Fashion Square store would close as part of a nationwide program affecting 154 locations. The store ceased operations on October 18, 2020. Additional specialty-store closures reported for 2022 and 2023 included Claire's, Finish Line, Journeys, T-Mobile, Hot Topic, and Spencer Gifts. These changes reduced the mall's traditional specialty-retail mix while increasing the importance of value retail, home improvement, fitness, dining, and other service or experience-oriented uses. The available reference material identifies Macy's, Floor & Decor, and Dillard's Clearance Center as the principal current anchors, with Planet Fitness among the other major tenants. UP Development, Inc. manages the property. Premiere Cinemas 14 was reported to have announced a permanent closure effective March 12, 2026. A separate incident report states that a vehicle struck the Dillard's building on January 16, 2026; the driver had minor injuries, declined transport, and the cause remained undetermined in the cited material.
- 2026
Premiere Cinemas 14 schedules closure
[1]The mall's cinema was reported to be closing permanently on March 12, 2026.
- 2020
JCPenney closes
[1]The JCPenney store closed on October 18 after being included in the chain's nationwide closure plan.
- 2017
Former Sears building is demolished
[1]The Sears building was demolished after the store's closure, clearing the way for replacement development.
- 2014
Entertainment and anchor-format changes
[1]A bowling alley was added, the movie theater was rebuilt, and Dillard's shifted to a clearance-center format.
- 2013
UP Development acquires the mall
[1]UP Development, Inc. purchased the property from PREIT and announced redevelopment intentions.
- 2005
Burdines becomes Macy's
[1]The Burdines anchor was rebranded as Macy's.
- 2004
Premiere Cinemas opens
[1]Premiere Cinemas opened a new movie theater at the mall.
- 2002
Interior renovation is completed
[1]The mall completed an interior renovation intended to refresh its enclosed retail environment.
- 1993
JCPenney opens a replacement store
[1]JCPenney opened a new location at the mall after replacing its former Winter Park Mall store.
- 1973
Orlando Fashion Square opens
[1]The mall opened on July 30 with Burdines as an anchor; Robinson's of Florida followed on October 29.
Products and positioning
A traditional enclosed regional shopping center repositioned around department stores, value-oriented retail, home improvement, fitness, dining, and entertainment.
Department store · 2005
Macy's
Macy's is the successor to the mall's original Burdines anchor. The store represents the conventional department-store component of Orlando Fashion Square, offering apparel, accessories, beauty products, home merchandise, and related general merchandise within the center's remaining anchor lineup.
Department-store clearance retail · 2014
Dillard's Clearance Center
Dillard's operates at the mall in a clearance-center format. The conversion reduced the store's conventional full-line department-store footprint, with the second floor closed in 2014, and repositioned the anchor around discounted apparel, accessories, home goods, and seasonal merchandise.
Home improvement and flooring
Floor & Decor
Floor & Decor is a large-format home-improvement tenant associated with the redevelopment of the former Sears area. Its offer centers on flooring and related renovation materials, providing Orlando Fashion Square with a destination retail use distinct from fashion and department-store shopping.
Cinema and entertainment · 2004
Premiere Cinemas 14
Premiere Cinemas opened a theater at the mall in 2004, and the cinema was rebuilt in 2014. It served as an entertainment anchor alongside retail, dining, and the bowling operation. The available reference material reports a planned permanent closure on March 12, 2026.
Fitness club
Planet Fitness
Planet Fitness is identified among the mall's major tenants, adding a recurring-membership fitness use to the property's retail and service mix.
Brand decisions
2026
Premiere Cinemas 14 closureOtherBackground
The cinema had operated at the mall for approximately 22 years according to the available reference material.
Action taken
Premiere Cinemas 14 announced a permanent closure scheduled for March 12, 2026.
2020
JCPenney store closureOtherBackground
JCPenney announced a nationwide closure plan affecting 154 stores while the retailer was restructuring.
Action taken
The Orlando Fashion Square store closed on October 18, 2020.
Aftermath
The closure removed another traditional department-store anchor from the mall's tenant base.
2016
Sears closure and site redevelopmentStrategyBackground
Sears announced a broad store-reduction program that affected its Orlando Fashion Square location.
Action taken
Sears closed the store; the building was demolished in 2017, with Floor & Decor and Orchard Supply Hardware planned as replacement uses.
Aftermath
The former department-store parcel was repositioned for large-format home improvement and nearby restaurant development.
2014
Dillard's adopts clearance-center formatStrategyBackground
The mall was losing some specialty tenants and adapting its anchor mix to changing retail conditions.
Action taken
Dillard's converted its store to a clearance center and closed the second floor.
Aftermath
The store remained an anchor but with a value-oriented proposition and a smaller operating footprint.
2013
Sale to UP DevelopmentM&ABackground
PREIT sold Orlando Fashion Square as the property entered a period of anchor changes and broader redevelopment pressure.
Action taken
UP Development, Inc. acquired the mall for a reported $35 million and became its owner and manager.
Aftermath
The new ownership announced redevelopment plans, followed by changes to entertainment uses and redevelopment of the former Sears site.
Reported acquisition price. $35 million (2013)
Recent events
- 2026
Premiere Cinemas 14 announces permanent closure[1]
Other
Premiere Cinemas 14 reportedly announced that it would close permanently on March 12, 2026, after approximately 22 years at the mall.
- 2026
Vehicle crashes into Dillard's store[1]
Other
On January 16, 2026, a vehicle struck the Dillard's store. The driver reportedly sustained minor injuries, declined medical transport, and the cause had not been determined in the available reference material.
- 2023
Several specialty tenants leave the mall[1]
Other
Reported departures during 2022 and 2023 included Claire's, Finish Line, Journeys, T-Mobile, Hot Topic, and Spencer Gifts.
- 2020
JCPenney announces closure of Orlando Fashion Square store[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
JCPenney included the mall location in a nationwide closure program. The store closed on October 18, 2020.
- 2016
Sears announces closure of Orlando Fashion Square location[1]
Leadership change · Other
Sears announced that it would close its store at the mall. The building was later demolished in April 2017.
- 2014
Dillard's converts its store to a clearance center[1]
Other
Dillard's changed its Orlando Fashion Square operation to a clearance-center format and closed the store's second floor.
- 2013
PREIT sells Orlando Fashion Square to UP Development[1]
M&A
PREIT sold the mall to UP Development, Inc. for a reported $35 million. The new owner stated that it intended to pursue redevelopment of the property.
Sources2 sources
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