Access on the last day was limited, with most of the mall beyond the food court roped off due to holes in the ceiling and buckets collecting water.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Closing the door on 58 years of history.
The interior of the Regency Square Mall closed for good on Saturday as developers work toward a new vision for the once iconic building.
A steady stream of folks swung by the mall on Saturday, with many sharing their memories when the mall was in its heyday as the “it” place to be.
One visitor had a particularly sentimental attachment to the mall because of who it reminded him of.
“I used to go to the part that was the kids’ area when I was a little kid. I used to go there a lot when I was younger,” said Wallace Stine.
Stine spent plenty of afternoons in that kids’ area, then found himself visiting the Regency Square Mall once he grew up a bit.
“My father started working as the general manager of this mall in 2020. Since then, he has passed away, but it’s strange and a bit haunting to return to the mall now with all the empty spaces,” he remarked.
Stine felt compelled to visit the mall on its final day, knowing his dad would’ve been right there with him if he were still around.
“I know he frequented this place when he was young, so he had more memories here. I wish I could tell him, ‘I’m here on the final day at the place you worked,'” Stine expressed.
Only two businesses were left inside the mall for Stine’s final visit – Tokyo Sakura and Roger’s Jewelers.
Tokyo served many meals to people like Stine who were spending their final day at the mall, with a sign at their stall expressing gratitude to customers and announcing it was their last day.
A Lake City developer bought the mall last month with plans to level part of it to make room for housing, retail and entertainment space.
Jacksonville Councilman Ken Amaro, who represents the Arlington area, said the mall’s closing marks a step in the right direction.
“This is the last chapter of what has been a community nightmare and the first step to a new beginning,” Amaro said. “I am excited about the future of regency; my hope is it will be catalytic and transformative.”
Amaro added that the new owner, Rurmell McGee, the CEO of Blackwater Development, has a certain timeline he needs to follow for construction.
“He has two years as part of the settlement to avoid paying $2 million in code enforcement fines,” Amaro said.
Access on the last day was limited, with most of the mall beyond the food court roped off due to holes in the ceiling and buckets collecting water.
But that didn’t stop visitors from logging one last memory before the doors locked for good.
“I always came here back in the heyday in the 90s and the 2000s,” said Nicole Fernandez. “Then, when he was a baby, he came here to get his pictures with Santa multiple years in a row, so we have really fond memories of this mall.”
Fernandez added: “It’s been crazy to see the decline of a mall in real-time.”
For Stine, he’s using his last visit as a way to remember his father.
“Of course, he’s not here now, so I can’t really explain it to him, so I know this is a little tribute for him,” he said.
The folks at Lauren’s Seafood said the two businesses with entrances from outside plan to stay open for the time being.
The Impact Church, Dillard’s and AMC are all owned independently, so they’ll stay open.
