Mall of the Americas
Encyclopedia
Mall of the Americas is an enclosed shopping mall
located at 7795 West Flagler Street next to the Palmetto Expressway in Miami, Florida
. At its grand opening in 1970, it was known as Midway Mall. The name change to Mall of the Americas took place in December 1987.
Former anchor department stores included Richard's, Jefferson Ward and Woolco
, all of which closed in the 1980s. The Woolco store was converted in 1983 to a discount clothing store called Winston's.
After falling to 30 percent occupancy, the mall was re-tenanted to target a middle-class Latin American clientele. This renovation added discount anchors such as Marshalls
, plus an L. Luria & Sons and The Home Depot
, the latter of which took the former Woolco after Winston's closed. The mall was also renamed Mall of the Americas, and an eight-screen AMC Theatres
multiplex was added. Another notable tenant after the redevelopment was the first Forever 21
clothing store outside the chain's home base of California. Other retailers now at the mall include Old Navy
Outlet, Ross Dress for Less
and 14-screen AMC Theaters at the north end of the mall.
The Home Depot moved to a new stand alone building in 2003. There is also a TigerDirect store on the side of the mall that Ross occupies. In 2010, the Tiger Direct outlet moved from the right of their corporate headquarters to the left, to allow mall access directly across from Ross. Two of the secondary entrances to the mall have several strip mall
type stores near them that also have no mall access.
On August 13, 2009, a 43-year-old woman set herself on fire at the mall, leading to its temporary closure.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located at 7795 West Flagler Street next to the Palmetto Expressway in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. At its grand opening in 1970, it was known as Midway Mall. The name change to Mall of the Americas took place in December 1987.
Former anchor department stores included Richard's, Jefferson Ward and Woolco
Woolco
Woolco was an American-based discount retail chain. It was founded in 1962 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, by the F.W. Woolworth Company. It was a full-line discount department store unlike the five-and-dime Woolworth stores which operated at the time. At its peak, Woolco had hundreds of stores in...
, all of which closed in the 1980s. The Woolco store was converted in 1983 to a discount clothing store called Winston's.
After falling to 30 percent occupancy, the mall was re-tenanted to target a middle-class Latin American clientele. This renovation added discount anchors such as Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
, plus an L. Luria & Sons and The Home Depot
The Home Depot
The Home Depot is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services.The Home Depot operates 2,248 big-box format stores across the United States , Canada , Mexico and China, with a 12-store chain...
, the latter of which took the former Woolco after Winston's closed. The mall was also renamed Mall of the Americas, and an eight-screen AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
multiplex was added. Another notable tenant after the redevelopment was the first Forever 21
Forever 21
Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers with branches in major cities in The United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that offers fashion and accessories for young women and men....
clothing store outside the chain's home base of California. Other retailers now at the mall include Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
Outlet, Ross Dress for Less
Ross Dress For Less
Ross Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
and 14-screen AMC Theaters at the north end of the mall.
The Home Depot moved to a new stand alone building in 2003. There is also a TigerDirect store on the side of the mall that Ross occupies. In 2010, the Tiger Direct outlet moved from the right of their corporate headquarters to the left, to allow mall access directly across from Ross. Two of the secondary entrances to the mall have several strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
type stores near them that also have no mall access.
On August 13, 2009, a 43-year-old woman set herself on fire at the mall, leading to its temporary closure.