Aventura Mall - History

History

In April 1983, the Oxford Development Company, led by partners Donny Soffer, Edward J. Lewis and Ray Parello officially dedicated Aventura Mall. There would be four anchors in the original, 1,200,000-square-foot (110,000 m2), complex: Lord and Taylor (the first operational store, which had opened January 31, 1983), J.C. Penney (opened April 28, 1983), Sears (opened July 6, 1983) and Macy's (the first in Florida, in a three story structure with Spanish architecture which became the template for future Macy's in South Florida, dedicated October 1, 1983).

On board as an original investor in the project was mall-developer Edward J. DeBartolo Sr.. The mall was originally designed to accommodate a fifth anchor, and there was even a section of drywall in place where its mall entrance would be located.

Soon after its construction Soffer left Oxford. As part of the break-up of assets, Soffer's new firm, Turnberry Associates assumed control of the Aventura Mall. In 1996 the DeBartolo Realty Corporation, which owned the minority interest once held by Edward J. DeBartolo, was acquired by Simon Property Group.

In 1996, ground was broken for a major expansion of Aventura Mall. The addition, built onto the southeast end of the existing complex, consisted of a three-story atrium with an AMC Theatres multiplex cinema and restaurants at a new entrance. A rare two-story Rainforest Cafe also opened, but was closed just a few years later and a Zara clothing store took its space. Part of the new development were two three-story parking garages surrounding the new anchor stores' southeast facades.

Two of the original anchors, J.C. Penney and Lord and Taylor, were enlarged and two department stores were built to anchor the addition. A three-story Bloomingdale's came inline November 8, 1997, with the new southeast mall wing being dedicated in December. The mall's three-story Burdines opened August 1, 1999.

Burdines and Macy's were merged in early 2004 by their common parent, Federated Department Stores, to form Burdines-Macy's and a year later "simply" Macy's. Both locations at Aventura Mall were retained, with the original Macy's being devoted to Women's and Kids' Fashions, and the former Burdines location housing Men's and Home Furnishings departments. Lord & Taylor closed their store the same year as they withdrew from the Floridian market.

In July 2005, Nordstrom announced they would construct a store adjacent to the former Lord & Taylor, which would be demolished and rebuilt as additional mall retail space. As part of the pending Nordstrom wing expansion, the rest of the mall underwent a $20 million renovation in late-2006. The Nordstorm wing officially opened on February 15, 2008.