An extant asset
Oviedo Mall mallmanac ca. 2011. View the full PDF version here.
When living in central Florida, we normally stayed to our little corner to the northeast of downtown in Winter Park. Our main shopping destinations were Winter Park Mall, Orlando Fashion Square and Colonial Plaza. This is why I enjoyed coming back later as an adult and visiting more of the area on my time. The city itself, outside of Disney and Universal, can be an interesting place on its own merit. And one of those interesting places is Oviedo Marketplace.
Exterior shots of Oviedo Mall
Oviedo Marketplace (as it was known at the time) was pretty standard for malls built during the late nineties and early aughts. The exterior boasted splashes of bright reds highlighting what was an otherwise grey-washed façade. The interior was basic, with a small upper level containing the movie theaters rising above the polished concrete floors. The skylights allowed plenty of the Florida sunshine in, but hanging vines worked against the natural lighting and lent the concourse a darkened, almost forested feel.
Oviedo Mall pamphlet ca. 2019. View the full PDF version here.
Oviedo Marketplace was opened in 1980 by The Rouse Company. It was meant to be the hub of all of the retail being added to the eponymous suburb located far out to the northeast of Orlando, though it never seems to have found its niche in the market. Dillard’s and Gayfer’s were the original anchors, though the latter went through several name changes in its early days, switching to Parisian, then Burdine’s and finally Macy’s.
1- Looking up toward the cinemas of Oviedo Mall's second level. 2- Looking down Oviedo's lush corridor.
Sears opened as the third anchor to the mall around the same time Burdine’s came on board in 2000, but the next decade would see little growth. The mall was sold in 2010 and was renamed Oviedo Mall. Today, Dillard’s is still holding on while the rest of the original anchors have departed with a majority of their square footage subdivided into smaller shops. A redevelopment has begun that will turn parts of the mall into a senior community and hotel. Hopefully with these additions, Oviedo Mall will finally find its niche.
Oviedo Mall pamphlet ca. 2022. View the full PDF version here.
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