Midway Crossings
 | |
| Location | Miami, Florida |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°46′26″N 80°19′19″W / 25.77389°N 80.32194°W |
| Address | 7795 West Flagler Street |
| Opening date | Late 1970 |
| Developer | Herbet Sadkin and Edward M. Strawgate |
| Owner | Sterling Organization |
| Architect | Don Reiff and Mort Fellmann |
| No. of anchor tenants | 6 (5 open, 1 coming soon) |
| Total retail floor area | 798,149 sq ft (74,150.5 m2)[1] |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Website | Official website |
Midway Crossings is an enclosed shopping mall located at 7795 West Flagler Street next to the Palmetto Expressway in Miami, Florida. The mall was previously known as Midway Mall (1970–1987), and Mall of the Americas (1987–2022).
History
[edit]Midway Crossings opened in late-1970 as Midway Mall.[2] The mall had 80 stores and was the first purpose built enclosed shopping mall in Greater Miami.[2][3]
At the opening anchor, the three main anchor tenants were J.B. Hunter, Richards, and Woolco.[2] Along with F. W. Woolworth and Winn-Dixie as mini-anchor tenants.[4]
The mall was developed by Herbet Sadkin and Edward M. Strawgate.[2] It was designed by the architectural firm of Don Reiff and Mort Fellmann.[2] The project was the most expensive non-resident construction in South Florida of 1970 and was spread over a fifty-five acre site.[2]
In 1974, Jefferson Store purchased J.B. Hunter and the store at Midway Mall was rebranded to Jefferson in 1974.[5][6] The store became Jefferson Ward in 1980.[5]
On January 11 1980, Richard's closed all stores and was liquidated.[7] Following its closure, the space was divided among smaller tenants.[6]
After losing all three original anchor tenants, the mall decided to focus on off-price retailing after a 1983 renovation.[6] Winston's was an off-price clothing store that filled most of the Woolco space.[6]
In 1985, Jefferson Ward closed and the space temporarily became a Montgomery Ward Clearence Outlet.[5]
In 1986, the mall was sold to James Schlesinger, Jim Levy, and Balcor Development.[8][9] At the time, the mall had a 30% occupancy.[10]
In 1987, the mall was rebranded to Mall of the Americas following a renovation,[8] the mall now targeted a middle-class Latin American clientele.[10] A new Home Depot replaced the former Winston's building.[11] An eight-screen AMC Theatres multiplex was also built as part of the new mall.[12]
In 1994, The mall was sold to RREEF Funds.[5]
In 1995, the first Forever 21 outside of California opened at the mall.[13]
In 2003, The Home Depot moved from its mall-connected space to a new building on the site of the now-demolished Winn-Dixie.[5]
In 2004, RREEF Funds sold the mall to its current owner, Sterling Organization.[5]
On August 13, 2009, a 43-year-old woman set herself on fire at the mall, leading to its temporary closure.
In 2015, the north wing of the mall was demolished and replaced by a Costco that opened in 2017.[14][15] The AMC Theatres section was also demolished after it closed.
In May 2022, the name of the mall was changed from Mall of the Americas to Midway Crossings.[15]
In 2024, an Aldi opened at the mall.[15]
In 2025, intentional plans to open a Macy's at the mall were announced.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Property brochure" (PDF). Sterling Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "Midway Mall Opens New Stores". The Miami News. November 17, 1970. p. 17.
- ^ "Midway Mall mini history". Mall Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ "Midway Mall 1970 store list". Mall Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Midway Mall history". Mall Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Fesperman, Dan (July 19, 1983). "Mall to get a $4-million facelift". The Miami Herald. p. 180.
- ^ "Richards will close tomorrow, tossing 1,200 out of jobs". The Miami News. January 10, 1980. p. 1.
- ^ a b Steinberg, Jim (January 1, 1987). "Midway Mall to undergo changes". The Miami News. p. 10.
- ^ Owens, Dory (January 1, 1987). "Dos urbanizadores adquieren Midway Mall por $27 milliones". El Miami Herald (in Spanish). p. 2.
- ^ a b Altaner, David (July 16, 1990). "Controlled Access Opens Doors For Mall". The Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
- ^ "Overhauled Midway markets a new image". The Miami Herald. August 31, 1987. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
- ^ Chrissos, Joan (August 31, 1987). "Overhauled Midway markets a new image". The Miami Herald. p. 57.
- ^ Koyen, Jeff. "Steal This Look: Will a wave of piracy lawsuits bring down Forever 21?". Radar Magazine. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ^ "Costco is coming to Mall of the Americas | Mall of the Americas". Archived from the original on December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c Cohen, Howard (June 3, 2024). "Can a Miami mall near the Palmetto find a future with these stores? Here's what's coming". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ Cohen, Howard (May 3, 2025). "Macy's has been closing stores — now a Miami mall says it's planning to add one". Miami Herald. Retrieved May 4, 2025.