Panama City Mall

Panama City Mall was a single-story enclosed shopping mall in Panama City, Florida. Developed by Charles N. Agree, it opened in August 1976 with Sears and Gayfers as its principal anchor stores. The center served Panama City and surrounding communities as a conventional regional shopping destination, combining department stores with smaller specialty retailers and later adding national-format stores. The mall expanded in November 1982 with an East Wing and a J.C. Penney anchor store. Its anchor roster changed over time as retail ownership and branding evolved. Gayfers was rebranded as Dillard's in 1999. During the late 2000s, Cost Plus World Market and Linens 'n Things joined the tenant mix, prompting the relocation of some existing stores. Linens 'n Things was later replaced by Bed Bath & Beyond, while Cost Plus World Market subsequently moved to Pier Park in nearby Panama City Beach. Planet Fitness also operated beside the Dillard's location. Ownership and real-estate arrangements changed during the mall's later years. By September 2013, the property was owned and managed by Hendon Properties of Atlanta, which had acquired it from CBL & Associates Properties. In 2015, Sears Holdings transferred the Sears property, along with hundreds of other properties, into Seritage Growth Properties as part of a real-estate spinoff. Sears announced in October 2018 that its mall location would close in connection with the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The mall's decisive turning point came with Hurricane Michael in October 2018. The storm caused catastrophic damage to the building and made continued operation as an enclosed mall impractical. Hendon Properties announced on December 5, 2018, that Panama City Mall would close permanently, identifying the cost of rebuilding as a primary reason. Dillard's and J.C. Penney pursued separate recovery plans rather than reopening the mall as a unified center. Dillard's reopened in October 2018 with temporarily reduced hours, and J.C. Penney resumed business on August 30, 2019. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in 2019. The former mall site was later considered for a broader redevelopment. In July 2020, a proposal envisioned replacing the enclosed mall with an open-air retail center incorporating a hotel, residential apartments, and office space, with Pier Park in Panama City Beach cited as a comparable model. J.C. Penney included its former mall location among 21 stores offered for sale in July 2020. Planet Fitness later relocated in December 2022 to a site near Kohl's, Target, and Denny's on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Demolition of the former Sears building began in August 2024 and was expected to finish by November. The former mall is therefore best understood as a defunct shopping-center property whose surviving retail components were separated from the original enclosed-mall format.

Panama City Mall was developed by Charles N. Agree and opened in August 1976 in Panama City, Florida. The original center was a single-story enclosed mall anchored by Sears and Gayfers. Its role was to provide a regional shopping destination for Panama City and nearby areas, with department stores serving as the primary traffic generators. An East Wing and a J.C. Penney anchor were completed in November 1982, expanding the center's retail footprint and anchor offering. The mall's department-store identity changed when Gayfers was rebranded as Dillard's in 1999. Additional national retailers were introduced during the late 2000s, including Cost Plus World Market and Linens 'n Things. Linens 'n Things later became Bed Bath & Beyond, while Cost Plus World Market eventually relocated to Pier Park in Panama City Beach. Planet Fitness operated beside Dillard's. By September 2013, Hendon Properties of Atlanta owned and managed the mall after purchasing it from CBL & Associates Properties. The Sears real-estate interest was later included in a 2015 Sears Holdings spinoff involving Seritage Growth Properties. Sears announced in October 2018 that it intended to close its location after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Hurricane Michael inflicted catastrophic damage on the mall in October 2018. Although Dillard's reopened in October with reduced hours and J.C. Penney later reopened on August 30, 2019, the enclosed mall itself did not return to operation. Hendon Properties announced on December 5, 2018, that the property would close permanently because rebuilding costs were too high. Bed Bath & Beyond closed in 2019. The site subsequently became the subject of redevelopment discussions. A July 2020 proposal called for an open-air retail project combining shops with a hotel, apartments, and office space. J.C. Penney placed the location among 21 stores offered for sale in July 2020. Planet Fitness moved to another nearby location in December 2022. Demolition of the former Sears building began in August 2024, marking a further stage in the transition from the former enclosed mall site to potential redevelopment.

• 2024

  Former Sears building demolition begins

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Demolition begins in August, with completion expected by November.

• 2020

  Former mall redevelopment is proposed

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A concept is proposed for an open-air retail center with hospitality, residential, and office components.

• 2019

  J.C. Penney reopens

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  J.C. Penney resumes operations on August 30 as a standalone store.

• 2018

  Hurricane Michael damages the mall

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The hurricane causes catastrophic damage, leading to the eventual permanent closure of the enclosed mall.

• 2018

  Permanent closure is announced

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Hendon Properties announces on December 5 that the mall will not reopen because rebuilding costs are prohibitive.

• 2015

  Sears property enters Seritage spinoff

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears property is included among assets spun off by Sears Holdings into Seritage Growth Properties.

• 2013

  Hendon Properties owns and manages the mall

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Hendon Properties is identified as the owner and manager after acquiring the property from CBL & Associates Properties.

• 1999

  Gayfers becomes Dillard's

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Gayfers anchor is rebranded as Dillard's.

• 1982

  East Wing and J.C. Penney are completed

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  An East Wing and a J.C. Penney anchor store are added in November.

• 1976

  Panama City Mall opens

  [1]Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The single-story enclosed mall opens in August with Sears and Gayfers as anchor stores.

A conventional regional enclosed shopping mall serving Panama City and nearby communities in northwestern Florida.

• Anchor retail · 1976

  Department-store retail

  The mall's principal offering was department-store shopping through anchors including Sears, Gayfers, Dillard's, and J.C. Penney. These stores provided apparel, footwear, household goods, beauty products, appliances, and other general merchandise.

• Specialty retail

  Home and housewares retail

  The center later included home-oriented national retailers. Linens 'n Things, subsequently replaced by Bed Bath & Beyond, offered bedding, bath products, kitchenware, and related household merchandise. Cost Plus World Market also operated at the mall before moving to Pier Park.

• Services

  Fitness services

  Planet Fitness operated next to Dillard's, adding a membership-based fitness service to the mall's retail and service mix. It later relocated to another nearby site in 2022.

• 2020

  Open-air mixed-use redevelopment conceptStrategy

  Background

  After the enclosed mall was permanently closed, the former site required a new commercial use.

  Action taken

  A redevelopment concept was proposed featuring open-air retail, a hotel, residential apartments, and office space.

  Aftermath

  The proposal represented a shift from a traditional enclosed mall toward a mixed-use format, although the supplied sources do not establish that the full plan was completed.

  Source

• 2018

  Permanent closure after hurricane damageStrategy

  Background

  Hurricane Michael caused catastrophic damage to the enclosed mall, creating substantial reconstruction requirements.

  Action taken

  Hendon Properties decided that Panama City Mall would not reopen as an enclosed shopping center and announced its permanent closure in December.

  Aftermath

  Dillard's and J.C. Penney pursued standalone reopenings, while other tenants closed or relocated. The property became a candidate for mixed-use, open-air redevelopment.

  Source

1. 1Panama City Mallen.wikipedia.org