Posted 08 June 2007 - 05:42 AM
What a relief! Yesterday's news headlines in the Orlando Sentinel stated:
No New Belk Store for vacant Lord & Taylor anchor spot at Florida Mall!
Article states that Lord & Taylor will be demolished and a new mall entrance with outdoor shops, restaurants, and movie theater will be constructed in it's place. It's strange, when the Florida Mall first opened, Belk-Lindsey was one of the original anchors. When Belk left the store was renovated in to Saks Fifth Avenue. What an improvement! Belk's does have quite a history here in Orlando, though. Orlando back in the 50's used to have Ivey's, JC Penney, and Sears downtown. Then Orlando opened it's first open-air shopping plaza (Colonial Plaza) and it was anchored by a brand new Belk's. It was Orlando's first store with an escalator. Then in the early 60's Colonial Plaza added Orlando's first enclosed mall that opened in the middle of the shopping center and was anchored by a 4 floor Jordan Marsh Dept store. Orlando Fashion Square soon opened across the street with Sears, Burdines, and Robinson's as anchors. So Colonial Plaza countered by building a new modern "South Mall" on the other side of Jordan Marsh with Belk-Lindsey as it's anchor. Then 10 years later at the front of the "North Mall" a new entrance was built with a few more anchors and a new 90,000 square foot Ivey's. Ivey's became Dillards for awhile, Jordan Marsh went out of business, Belk left the Orlando market. Dillard's moved accross the street to Orlando Fashion Square and the whole Colonial Plaza Mall was demolished and made in to a power center. The old original Belk building still stands, was "Just for Feet" for awhile, now it's some sort of wine superstore. Also most of the second Colonial Plaza Belk's still stands as a Marshall's and Rhodes Furniture. If you go behind Marshalls you can still see the original wall from Belk Lindsey and where the entrance doors to that store used to be. Seems towards the end the only people who shopped at Belk's was little old ladies, young people hated it. My friends and I were dismayed when we went to Seminole Town Center and saw Belk's! First reaction was, oh no, this mall is getting ready to close! And the Belk's they put in at West Oaks Mall, they totally blocked off the second floor and it looks similar to the horrid Belk's that used to be at Florida Mall. Soon we will be able to experience Belk in a lifestyle center called "The Loop." There is already a Belk in "The Avenues at Viera"a lifestyle center in Brevard county near Rockledge/Cocoa/Melbourne....looks nice from the outside, never been inside because it's a Belk. I don't think they will catch on in the Orlando market, we already have 9 enclosed malls in the metro and three "mall-scale" lifestyle centers, Simon's huge "Waterford Lakes Town Center" which may get a Belk. "The Loop" which is definetly getting a Belk, Sembler's "Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves" which may get one and "Bella Collina" which is slated to get a Belk. Their biggest competitors in the Orlando market will probably be "Kohl's", the new stand-alone "JC Penney" stores, a similar department store that is mainly in Florida small towns called "Bealls." and Target. Here' the dirt on "The Loop."
Friday, June 08, 2007
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Loop - Kissimmee/Orlando, FL
Loop West -
Kissimmee/Orlando, FL
Loop - Punta Gorda, FL
Loop - Northborough, MA
Loop - Methuen, MA
Contact Wilder
Kissimmee/Orlando
Coming Soon
Complementing its popular predecessor, Loop West will meet the demand created by the success of The Loop, the distinctive, open-air shopping center concept created by The Wilder Companies and most recently opened on John Young and Osceola Parkways.
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Located adjacent to The Loop and set on 40 acres fronting Osceola Parkway at Thacker Avenue, Loop West will feature a vibrant array of department stores, specialty shops and dining options to serve the rapidly growing southern potion of the Orlando trade area.
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Loop West featuring Belk and JC Penney will join
The Loop’s over 40 new stores including
Kohl’s
Regal Cinema 16
Old Navy
Bed, Bath & Beyond
Ross
Sports Authority
Michael’s
and the other recent developments at the intersection of John Young and Osceola Parkways
Lowe’s Home Improvement
BJ’s Wholesale Club
Ashley’s Furniture
to create a nearly one million square foot retail hub of destination shopping unmatched in booming Osceola and southern Orange counties.
about the loop...
The Loop concept was conceived and developed by The Wilder Companies. It is the casually friendly shopping center that fits so easily into today’s busy lifestyles. It is a destination site that combines retail, dining, and entertainment in an open air, pedestrian friendly environment. The Loop-Methuen, MA opened first and was followed by The Loop-Orlando. In addition to Loop West, plans call for The Loop- Northborough, MA in 2007 and The Loop-Punta Gorda, Fl in 2008.
demographics 2005 Estimates
Claritas Site Reports - 2005
3 mile
5 miles
7 miles
2005 Population (est.)
73,199
176,203
212,911
2005 Households
25,794
60,870
74,543
Growth 2000-2005
25.67%
25.04%
25.77%
Est. Growth 2005-2010
21.57%
21.02%
21.42%
2005 Average HH Income
$56,240
$55,813
$57,951
Average Age
33 years
34 years
35 years
Download/view a PDF sheet
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bigger type
smaller type
© The Loop 2000 - 2007 All Rights Reserved other Loops
metrowester, on May 13 2007, 02:23 PM, said:
(wife's family is in Leesburg / Lady Lake)
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