Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Florida

Colonial Plaza

Imported, unreviewedReinhabitedOperatingOrlando, FL

Opened 1956. Reinhabited in 1995.

Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed
What it becameretailextracted, unreviewed
Site size20 acresextracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year1995extracted, unreviewed
Walkability17.7 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mYes · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Ask who owns this Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from.

Colonial Plaza
Colonial Plaza. Photo: Keith Creager, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile15 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
BelkThis site: Belk wikipedia · all sites with this
Dillard'sThis site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this
Jordan MarshThis site: Jordan Marsh wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
On FacebookThis site: …https://www.facebook.com/180722161968331 overture · all sites with this
Website dead or redirectingThis site: …https://www.expedia.com/Colonial-Plaza-Mall-Orlando.d6239784... overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
Bike network nearbyThis site: 48 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 3,133 units, Orange County census-bps · all sites with this
Fast-growing county (8%+ 2018–23)This site: 9% census-acs · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 3 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
Opportunity ZoneThis site: 12095018400 hud-oz · all sites with this
Rail within 800 mThis site: Colonial Plaza SuperStop openstreetmap · all sites with this
Tract income up 60%+ since 2013This site: +76% census-acs · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 17.7 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Strategy
ReinhabitedThis site: A renovation between 1995 and 1996 restructured the complex into an open-air power center. extraction · all sites with this
New use
Retail (continued)This site: …een 1995 and 1996 restructured the complex into an open-air power center. extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusOperatingextracted, unreviewed
StrategyReinhabitedextracted, unreviewed
New usesretailextracted, unreviewed
What is there nowA renovation between 1995 and 1996 restructured the complex into an open-air power center.extracted, unreviewed
Retrofit year1995extracted, unreviewed

Securitised debt and public filers

Filings (2001 to date) that name “Colonial Plaza” and “Orlando” (204 hits, first 100 sampled). Common name: these matches are unreliable. No commercial-mortgage trust names this mall in the sample, which does not rule out a securitised loan. Text matches, not a title search. Open the search · all trusts.

KindFilerFilingsDatesForms
Public owner (strong)WEINGARTEN REALTY INVESTORS /TX/472001-04-26 to 2021-02-238-K 40, 8-K/A 4, 10-Q/A 2, 10-Q 1
Public owner (weak)COLONIAL PROPERTIES TRUST402001-03-30 to 2012-04-268-K 32, 10-K 4, 10-K/A 2, 8-K/A 2
Public owner (weak)COLONIAL REALTY LIMITED PARTNERSHIP172001-03-30 to 2012-04-268-K 11, 10-K 5, 10-K/A 1
Public owner (weak)KIMCO REALTY CORP (KIM, KIM-PL, KIM-PM, KIM-PN)42023-02-24 to 2026-02-2010-K 4
Public owner (weak)Kimco Realty OP, LLC42023-02-24 to 2026-02-2010-K 4
Public owner (weak)COUSINS PROPERTIES INC (CUZ)32001-03-27 to 2002-03-2710-K 2, 10-Q 1

Site context

Transit within 800 mColonial Plaza SuperStop (rail); 9 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km101A-B, 101C, 101D, 11BOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneX · AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m24: BANK ATLANTIC AT FASHION SQUAR; BUMBY AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS PROJ; COLONIAL PLAZA CLEANERS; COLONIAL PLAZA CLEANERS; CONCORD COMMONS TOWNHOMESEPA FRS
Census tract 120950184002,236 people, 939 per sq mi; median household income $69,978; median gross rent $1,270; 44% renters; 8.4% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 17.7 of 20; 299 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 527 m; land-use mix 0.9; 125,779 jobs within 45 min by car, 93,738 by transit; 35% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)4 of 6 daily needs: 3 grocers, 0 schools, 9 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 7 civic, 37 food and drink; 48 cycleway segments, 304 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zoneyes, tract 12095018400 (rural)HUD
Housing permits, Orange County (FL), 20243,133 units in 5+ unit buildings, 109 in 2–4, 4,810 single-family; 2023: 4,082 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.45; socioeconomic 0.48; housing and transport 0.54; 14% below 150% of poverty; 16% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby1 within 10 km, 5 within 25 km: Winter Park Mall (5.9 km)computed
Overture Mapsplace Colonial Plaza (shopping_mall, confidence 1.00, from Overture, Overture-signals, meta); building footprint 13,610 m², 7.487403869628906 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and socialwww.expedia.com (down or redirecting, status 429); archived 1996–2026 (Wayback) · social: facebookOverture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views33,029 since 2015; 3,100 in the last 12 months (-13% vs the prior 12); peak 2018-10 with 5,290Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +4% (2,141 → 2,236); median income +76% ($39,688 → $69,978); renters 43% → 44%; median home value +161% ($147,900 → $385,800)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively low overall (score 24.5); expected annual loss $1.1M; high: strong wind; community resilience relatively lowFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20235,161 establishments (+10%); 89,299 jobs (+16%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $400,964 (-1% 1 yr, +22% 5 yr); typical rent $1,933/mo (+1% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025518 (2000 = 100); -10.1% 1 yr, +43% 5 yr, +96% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)11,700 vehicles a day (major collector, 3 lanes); 5 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Colonial Plaza opened in 1956 as Florida's largest retail development and underwent expansions in 1961, 1973 and 1983. After anchor losses and rising vacancy in the early 1990s, the property was renovated between 1995 and 1996 into an open‑air power center. It has remained operating since, under Weingarten Realty ownership since 2001.

Why. The record shows anchor losses (Ivey's sold to Dillard's in 1990) and a vacancy increase with anchor closures in 1991 as the primary pressures that prompted the renovation. No explicit mention of debt, demolition or broader competition is provided.

Where it stands. Colonial Plaza is currently operating and is owned by Weingarten Realty, which has held the property since 2001.

For a planner

  • Renovation to open‑air power center (1995‑96) demonstrates a reinhabit strategy adaptive reuse precedent.
  • County population grew 9.0% 2018‑23, indicating regional growth pressure.
  • Median rent $1,675 suggests market strength for retail.
  • Open questions include long‑term tenant mix and potential need for further repositioning.

For a developer

  • Site size is 20 acres, providing a substantial development footprint.
  • Controlled by a single owner (Weingarten Realty) since 2001, simplifying negotiations.
  • Entitlement stage appears post‑retrofit; the retrofit is already built per the opp_reasons field.
  • Market signals show county growth of 9.0% 2018‑23 and median rent $1,675, indicating steady demand.

What we do not know yet

  • Current anchor tenant mix and lease terms are not specified in the record.
  • Financial details such as debt, operating expenses, or recent vacancy rates are absent.
  • Environmental constraints (flood zone, wetlands, contamination) and transit access are not described.
  • The ownership status is indicated only by a start year (2001) with no end year, leaving current control uncertain.
  • Many fields are marked as extraction and the record is flagged as 'verified: draft', indicating possible unreviewed model‑extracted data.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Palm Center, Houston, TX · Malls · similar size (26 acres); opened 1955; same strategy: reinhabit
  • Winter Park Mall, Winter Park, FL · Malls · same strategy: reinhabit; also in FL; 6 km away
  • Chinese Cultural Center, Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ · Malls · similar size (26 acres); same strategy: reinhabit
  • Indian Hill Mall, Pomona, CA · Malls · opened 1955; same strategy: reinhabit

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built
  • 20 acres
  • county grew 9.0% 2018–23
  • median rent $1,675

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened1956extracted, unreviewed
Acres20.0extracted, unreviewed
Original developerR. M. Thompson Co.extracted, unreviewed
ArchitectMorris Lapidus
AnchorsDillard's, Belk, Jordan Marsh, Ivey's
CountyOrange County
Census division5 · South Atlantic
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Colonial Plaza is a shopping mall in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened in 1956, it was the largest retail development in the state of Florida at the time of its construction. The original complex included two supermarkets and two variety stores, plus a Belk department store. It underwent multiple expansions in its history, the first of which added a Jordan Marsh department store and an enclosed mall concourse. Further expansion in 1973 added a second enclosed wing and a relocation of Belk, while Ivey's was added in 1983 and sold to Dillard's in 1990.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1954 Groundbreaking began
  2. 1956 Opened for business
  3. 1961 First expansion
  4. 1973 Second expansion
  5. 1983 Ivey's added
  6. 1990 Ivey's sold to Dillard's
  7. 1991 Vacancy increase and anchor closures
  8. 1995 Renovation to open-air power center
  9. 2001 Weingarten Realty ownership

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Colonial Plaza · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year opened
    15 quoted sentences
    Colonial Plaza opened for business on January 31, 1956.
    Overall, the center had a total of 20 acres (8.1 ha) of shop space at the time
    development, construction, contracting, and engineering were handled by the R. M. Thompson Co. of Clearwater.
    A renovation between 1995 and 1996 restructured the complex into an open-air power center.

More in Florida