The Gardens Mall

The Gardens Mall is a two-story, enclosed shopping center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Developed by The Forbes Company of Southfield, Michigan, the property opened on October 5, 1988, originally under the name The Gardens of The Palm Beaches. Its initial anchor lineup consisted of Burdines, Sears, and the second Macy's store in Florida. The center was created as a major regional shopping destination for northern Palm Beach County and has maintained a department-store-oriented format throughout its history. The mall expanded its luxury and upscale retail profile during the early 1990s. Bloomingdale's joined the property in 1990, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue in 1991. These additions established a broad anchor mix spanning traditional department-store merchandise, premium fashion, beauty, accessories, and home goods. Nordstrom later became part of the center's redevelopment strategy. Burdines closed in 2004 after a dispute over proposed changes to its format, and its building was demolished. A replacement wing was developed with a two-story Nordstrom store, which opened on March 10, 2006. The same redevelopment period also included a 90,000-square-foot expansion of the original Macy's location and a 35,000-square-foot expansion of Saks Fifth Avenue. The property received a more limited cosmetic renovation in October 2007. Work included changes to the central fountain and a redesign of the center court, replacing elements of the earlier garden-themed environment with a more contemporary appearance. In April 2019, Macy's added a Macy's Backstage store-within-a-store on the third floor, introducing an off-price retail concept within the department-store anchor. The Gardens Mall's tenant mix extends beyond department stores. The center has included national and regional restaurants such as Brio Tuscan Grille, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Shake Shack, Tap 42, and Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant. Its positioning combines upscale and luxury shopping with full-service dining, casual food, and experiential retail. Sears, one of the original anchors, closed permanently and abruptly on February 29, 2024, without a conventional liquidation process. The closure left two Sears locations remaining in Florida at the time described by the reference material. A subsequent redevelopment proposal associated with Gardens Venture LLC called for demolishing the former Sears building and replacing it with a somewhat enlarged wing containing a two-story Dick's House of Sport, including an outdoor field. The plan also proposed relocating Arhaus Furniture, which already operated elsewhere in the mall, closer to the former Sears site. The project was reported as approved on August 6, 2026, with the Dick's House of Sport targeted for spring 2028. The Gardens Mall therefore remains an active regional shopping destination whose long-term evolution has depended on anchor replacement, upscale retail expansion, and the adaptation of department-store space to newer experiential concepts.

The Gardens Mall was developed by The Forbes Company and opened in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on October 5, 1988. It was originally known as The Gardens of The Palm Beaches. The opening configuration included three anchor stores: Burdines, Sears, and the second Macy's location in Florida. From the beginning, the property was designed as a substantial enclosed regional mall rather than a small neighborhood shopping center, with department stores serving as the principal traffic generators. The center strengthened its upscale profile in the early 1990s. Bloomingdale's became a tenant in 1990, and Saks Fifth Avenue followed in 1991. Together with Macy's and the original anchors, these stores gave the mall a department-store mix covering mainstream, upscale, and luxury segments. The mall also developed a restaurant component that included full-service and casual national chains. A significant anchor transition occurred in the early 2000s. Federated Department Stores, which owned Macy's and Burdines at the time, considered converting the Burdines store into a Burdines-Macy's Home & Furniture format and changing the original Macy's into a Burdines-Macy's store serving men's, women's, and children's categories. The Forbes Company opposed the proposed Burdines conversion because the lease required the location to operate as a department or specialty store. The parties ultimately reached a different outcome. Burdines closed in 2004 and was demolished, while the original Macy's was expanded by 90,000 square feet in 2006. The former Burdines site was used for a new wing anchored by a two-story Nordstrom. Nordstrom opened to the public on March 10, 2006, adding another major upscale department-store operator to the property. Saks Fifth Avenue was also expanded by 35,000 square feet during this period. These changes reinforced The Gardens Mall's positioning as a premium regional destination and refreshed its physical footprint after the departure of Burdines. In October 2007, the mall underwent minor renovations focused on the central public areas. The fountain was modified, and the center court's earlier garden-themed design was replaced with a more modern visual treatment. The property later added an off-price component when Macy's opened a Macy's Backstage store-within-a-store on the third floor in April 2019. The next major anchor change came when Sears closed permanently on February 29, 2024. The closure was described as abrupt and occurred without a liquidation process. The vacant building subsequently became the subject of a redevelopment proposal connected with Gardens Venture LLC. The proposal called for demolition of the Sears structure and construction of a somewhat expanded wing with a two-story Dick's House of Sport and an outdoor field. It also included a plan to relocate Arhaus Furniture, which already had a location in the mall, near the former Sears site. The project was reported as approved on August 6, 2026, and the new sporting-goods concept was scheduled for spring 2028. Through these successive anchor changes, The Gardens Mall has remained an active enclosed shopping center while adapting its mix toward luxury retail, dining, off-price merchandise, and experience-led tenants.

• 2026

  Redevelopment approval is reported

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The proposed project is reported as approved on August 6, with an anticipated spring 2028 opening for Dick's House of Sport.

• 2025

  Former Sears redevelopment is proposed

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Gardens Venture LLC proposes a replacement wing featuring Dick's House of Sport, an outdoor field, and a relocated Arhaus Furniture store.

• 2024

  Sears closes

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Sears anchor closes permanently on February 29, leaving a large redevelopment site within the mall.

• 2019

  Macy's Backstage opens

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Macy's introduces a Macy's Backstage store-within-a-store on the third floor.

• 2007

  Public-area renovation

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The central fountain and center court are updated, including a move away from the earlier garden-themed design.

• 2006

  Nordstrom opens after redevelopment

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A two-story Nordstrom opens on March 10 in the redeveloped former Burdines area. Macy's is also expanded by 90,000 square feet, while Saks Fifth Avenue receives a 35,000-square-foot expansion.

• 2004

  Burdines closes

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Burdines shuts its store at the mall, and the building is subsequently demolished as part of an anchor redevelopment.

• 1991

  Saks Fifth Avenue joins the center

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Saks Fifth Avenue opens at the mall and strengthens its luxury positioning.

• 1990

  Bloomingdale's joins the center

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Bloomingdale's becomes an anchor tenant, broadening the mall's upscale department-store offering.

• 1988

  The mall opens

  [1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Gardens of The Palm Beaches opens on October 5 with Burdines, Sears, and the second Macy's store in Florida as its initial anchors.

An upscale regional shopping center combining major department stores, luxury retail, specialty shops, dining, and experiential destinations in Palm Beach Gardens.

• Anchor retail · 1988

  Department-store retail

  The mall's core offering is its collection of department stores, including Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom. These anchors provide apparel, accessories, beauty, home merchandise, and other broad retail categories across mainstream, upscale, and luxury price points.

• Off-price retail · 2019

  Macy's Backstage

  Macy's Backstage is an off-price store-within-a-store introduced on the mall's third floor in 2019. It adds a value-oriented merchandise format to the broader Macy's department-store presence.

• Restaurants

  Dining collection

  The Gardens Mall includes a range of restaurant and food-service tenants. Referenced examples include Brio Tuscan Grille, California Pizza Kitchen, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Shake Shack, Tap 42, and Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurant, providing full-service dining, casual meals, drinks, and quick-service options.

• Planned experiential retail

  Dick's House of Sport redevelopment

  The planned replacement for the former Sears site is a two-story Dick's House of Sport with an outdoor field. The concept is intended to combine sporting-goods retail with space for demonstrations and active experiences. The reported target opening is spring 2028.

• 2025

  Former Sears site redevelopment is proposedStrategy

  Background

  The closure of Sears created a large vacant anchor site within the active shopping center.

  Action taken

  Gardens Venture LLC proposed demolition of the Sears building and construction of a slightly expanded wing with a two-story Dick's House of Sport, an outdoor field, and a relocated Arhaus Furniture store.

  Aftermath

  The proposal was later reported as approved, with Dick's House of Sport targeted for spring 2028.

  Source

• 2024

  Sears anchor closesStrategy

  Background

  Sears, an original anchor from the mall's 1988 opening, closed permanently on February 29, 2024.

  Action taken

  The mall was left with a vacant former Sears building that could be considered for a new anchor or mixed retail use.

  Aftermath

  Gardens Venture LLC proposed replacing the building with a Dick's House of Sport and relocating Arhaus Furniture nearby.

  Source

• 2004

  Burdines site is selected for replacement redevelopmentGeneration change

  Background

  The Burdines store closed after the proposed operating-format changes were not implemented.

  Action taken

  The Burdines building was demolished and the surrounding wing was redeveloped for a two-story Nordstrom, alongside expansions for Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue.

  Aftermath

  Nordstrom opened on March 10, 2006, and the project increased the mall's emphasis on upscale and luxury department-store retail.

  Source

• 2003

  Forbes blocks proposed Burdines format changesStrategy

  Background

  Federated Department Stores considered converting Burdines into a Burdines-Macy's Home & Furniture store and changing the existing Macy's into a Burdines-Macy's men's, women's, and children's store.

  Action taken

  The Forbes Company opposed the proposed Burdines conversion because of the store's obligation to operate as a department or specialty store. The parties eventually pursued a different plan, with Burdines closing and the site being redeveloped.

  Aftermath

  Burdines closed in 2004, the building was demolished, and a new wing anchored by Nordstrom opened in 2006. Macy's was also expanded.

  Source

• 2026

  Redevelopment project reported as approved[1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The proposed former Sears-site redevelopment was reported as approved on August 6, 2026, with the Dick's House of Sport expected to open by spring 2028.

• 2025

  Former Sears site proposed for Dick's House of Sport redevelopment[1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Gardens Venture LLC proposed replacing the former Sears building with a slightly expanded wing featuring a two-story Dick's House of Sport, an outdoor field, and a relocated Arhaus Furniture store.

• 2024

  Sears closes at The Gardens Mall[1]The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Sears anchor at The Gardens Mall closed permanently and abruptly on February 29, 2024, ending the store's tenure at the property and creating a major redevelopment opportunity.

1. 1The Gardens Mallen.wikipedia.org