Plantation Towne Mall

Plantation Towne Mall was a shopping center in Plantation, Florida, that evolved from an open-air retail plaza into an enclosed mall before being destroyed by fire in 1996. The center opened in 1968 with a Publix supermarket at its western end, while its eastern portion included a drugstore and a movie theater. The cinema originally operated as the Towne Theatre and later became the Art Towne Twin. A metal roof was added in 1971, enclosing the previously open-air center while leaving the original roofing in place. This conversion gave the property the form of an enclosed neighborhood shopping mall, although its construction history later became significant during the fire that ended its operation. By 1991, Plantation Towne Mall had received interior and exterior renovations. The former theater area had been converted into office space, and the exterior was remodeled with stucco finishes and mansard-style entry structures characteristic of late twentieth-century suburban malls. The mall continued to combine everyday retail, food shopping, services, and entertainment uses, with Publix serving as a principal anchor. On September 6, 1996, a major fire destroyed the mall. The fire spread rapidly in part because flames were able to travel between the original and later roof structures. The building also lacked a sprinkler system, making suppression more difficult. Following the destruction, the site was rebuilt as Plantation Towne Square, a strip-style shopping center anchored by a new Publix store. Plantation Towne Mall is therefore a defunct local retail property rather than an ongoing national consumer brand. Its historical significance is tied to the development of suburban shopping in Plantation, the conversion of an open-air plaza into an enclosed mall, the presence of the Towne Theatre and Art Towne Twin, and the 1996 fire that led to the property's replacement.

Plantation Towne Mall began in 1968 as an open-air shopping plaza in Plantation, Florida. Its tenant mix included a Publix supermarket on the west side, a Rite Aid drugstore, and a movie theater on the east side. The cinema was initially known as the Towne Theatre and was later operated as the Art Towne Twin. This arrangement gave the center a combination of grocery, pharmacy, entertainment, and general shopping uses typical of a suburban commercial plaza serving a growing local community. In 1971, the property was enclosed with a metal roof. The enclosure was installed over the original roofing rather than replacing it, creating a layered roof structure. This construction detail was not merely a historical curiosity: it later contributed to the rapid movement of flames during the mall's final fire. The center subsequently operated as an enclosed shopping mall, retaining its neighborhood-oriented function and Publix as a major anchor. The property underwent both interior and exterior renovations by 1991. During this period, the vacant theater space was converted into offices, reflecting a shift in the site's use away from a fully entertainment-oriented tenant mix. The exterior was also remodeled with stucco cladding and mansard-style entry features, giving the mall a more contemporary suburban appearance. These changes preserved the property as a mixed retail and service destination while adapting unused space to office occupancy. On September 6, 1996, Plantation Towne Mall was destroyed by fire. The fire was able to spread quickly because flames could move through the space between the original roof and the later metal roof. The building also did not have a sprinkler system, which made the blaze more difficult to contain. The destruction ended the mall's existence as an enclosed shopping property. The site was later rebuilt as Plantation Towne Square, a strip mall anchored by a new Publix supermarket. The redevelopment replaced the enclosed mall format with a more open retail configuration. As a result, Plantation Towne Mall is remembered as a former local shopping center whose history reflects the evolution of suburban retail design, the adaptive reuse of obsolete commercial space, and the effect of a major building fire on the future of a retail site.

• 1996

  Mall destroyed by fire

  [1]Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A fire on September 6 destroys Plantation Towne Mall. The layered roof construction and lack of sprinklers contribute to the difficulty of extinguishing the blaze.

• 1991

  Interior and exterior renovation

  [1]Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property receives renovations, including conversion of the former theater space into offices and an exterior update using stucco and mansard-style entrances.

• 1971

  Center is enclosed

  [1]Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A metal roof is added over the center, converting the open-air plaza into an enclosed shopping mall while leaving the original roofing in place.

• 1968

  Open-air shopping plaza opens

  [1]Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property opens in Plantation, Florida, as an open-air shopping plaza with Publix, a drugstore, and a movie theater.

• Site redeveloped as Plantation Towne Square

  [1]Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former mall site is rebuilt as Plantation Towne Square, a strip-style shopping center anchored by a new Publix store.

A local suburban shopping center serving Plantation, Florida, with grocery, drugstore, cinema, retail, and office functions.

• Supermarket anchor · 1968

  Publix

  Publix served as the principal grocery anchor on the western end of the original shopping plaza and remained central to the site's retail identity. After the enclosed mall was destroyed, the replacement Plantation Towne Square was also anchored by a new Publix store.

• Cinema · 1968

  Towne Theatre / Art Towne Twin

  The property's eastern end included a movie theater that began as the Towne Theatre and later operated as the Art Towne Twin. The theater eventually closed, and its former space was converted into offices during the renovations completed by 1991.

• Drugstore

  Rite Aid

  A Rite Aid drugstore occupied part of the original shopping center's eastern section. The space was vacant by the time of the 1996 fire.

• 1996

  Redevelopment after fireOther

  Background

  The enclosed mall was destroyed by fire on September 6, 1996.

  Action taken

  The former mall site was rebuilt as Plantation Towne Square, a strip mall with a new Publix anchor.

  Aftermath

  The site continued as a retail property, but the Plantation Towne Mall name and enclosed-mall format ended.

  Source

• 1991

  Adaptive reuse and exterior renovationStrategy

  Background

  The mall had a vacant theater area and required updates to its aging appearance.

  Action taken

  The former theater space was converted into offices, while the exterior received stucco cladding and mansard-style mall entrances.

  Aftermath

  The property continued operating as a mixed retail, office, and service destination until its destruction by fire in 1996.

  Source

• 1971

  Conversion from open-air plaza to enclosed mallStrategy

  Background

  The original 1968 property operated as an open-air shopping plaza and was subsequently enclosed with a metal roof.

  Action taken

  A metal roof was installed over the center without removing the original roofing.

  Aftermath

  The roof configuration later allowed flames to move between roof layers during the 1996 fire, contributing to the rapid spread and difficulty of suppression.

  Source

1. 1Plantation Towne Mallen.wikipedia.org