Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Florida

DeSoto Square Mall

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedReinhabitedDemolishedSouth Bradenton, FL

Opened 1973. Closed 2021. Redeveloped · Reinhabited in 2024.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
In 2021, Go Store It Self Storage... opened at the mall inside the former Sears.

en.wikipedia.org

What it becameretail, mixedextracted, unreviewed reported
Site size100 acresextracted, unreviewed
documented
Bradenton Mall Corporation bought 100 acres (0.40 km2) along US 301 and Cortez Road for $1.6 million from 32 property owners.

en.wikipedia.org

Last sale$47.0M · 2024public reporting
Retrofit year2024extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability18.3 of 20 · 15-minute 3 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Claim this site 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. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

DeSoto Square Mall
Exterior view of a former shopping center entrance at dusk with wet pavement and illuminated glass doors. · verified by a vision model. Photo: Pokemonprime, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile26 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
Belk-LindseyThis site: Belk-Lindsey wikipedia · all sites with this
Burdines-Macy'sThis site: Burdines-Macy's wikipedia · all sites with this
Dillard'sThis site: Dillard's wikipedia · all sites with this
JCPenneyThis site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this
SearsThis site: Sears wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
Sold since 2020This site: 2024 Madison Communities research-deals · all sites with this
Ownership
Single-purpose entityThis site: DeSoto Owners LLC county-parcels · all sites with this
Place
200+ tax-credit housing units within 1 kmThis site: 226 units in 1 properties hud-lihtc · all sites with this
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 42,000 on CORTEZ RD fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
County typical rent $2,000+This site: $2,031/mo zillow · all sites with this
FEMA special flood hazard areaThis site: AE fema-nfhl · all sites with this
Fast-growing county (8%+ 2018–23)This site: 11% census-acs · all sites with this
High hurricane riskThis site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with this
High natural hazard risk (FEMA NRI)This site: Relatively High; hurricane, tornado, lightning fema-nri · all sites with this
High social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)This site: 1.00 cdc-svi · all sites with this
High tornado riskThis site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with this
Lower-income tract (< $50k)This site: $29,707 census-acs · all sites with this
Opportunity ZoneThis site: 12081000105 hud-oz · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 18.3 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Scale
60+ acre siteThis site: 100 acres extraction · all sites with this
Building footprint 50,000+ m²This site: 59,823 m² overture · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: …apartment community extraction · all sites with this
ReinhabitedThis site: …apartment community extraction · all sites with this
New use
HousingThis site: …apartment community apartment community extraction · all sites with this
Mixed useThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this
Retail (continued)This site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
In 2021, Go Store It Self Storage... opened at the mall inside the former Sears.

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyRedeveloped · Reinhabitedextracted, unreviewed
documented
Madison Communities... secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.

en.wikipedia.org

New usesretail, mixedextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there nowapartment communityextracted, unreviewed
documented
In August 2024, Madison Communities... announced that it had secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.

en.wikipedia.org

Retrofit year2024extracted, unreviewed reported
RedeveloperMadison Communitiesextracted, unreviewed reported

Planning

Zoning changeapartmentextracted, unreviewed
documented
Madison Communities... secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.

en.wikipedia.org

Entitlement year2024extracted, unreviewed reported
Planning notesapartment communityextracted, unreviewed reported

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2024Sold$47.0M closedMadison Communities ← Madison Capital Group · loan $47.0MWikipedia
2017Sold$25.5M closedMeyer Lebovitz ← Mason Asset ManagementWikipedia
2012Sold$25.0M closedMason Asset Management ← Simon Property GroupWikipedia
1996Sold—Simon Property Group ← DeBartolo CorporationWikipedia

Site context

FEMA flood zoneAE · special flood hazard areaFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m8: BIG DANS-BRADENTON; CIRCLE K STORE NO. 2211008; CONLEY BUICK GMC; MONTGOMERY WARD; OKLAHOMA INSTALLATION COEPA FRS
Census tract 120810001054,031 people, 3,904 per sq mi; median household income $29,707; median gross rent $1,256; 42% renters; 23.9% vacant units; 0.5% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 18.3 of 20; 156 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 217 m; land-use mix 0.86; 33,916 jobs within 45 min by car, 72,591 by transit; 8% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)3 of 6 daily needs: 0 grocers, 0 schools, 4 parks or playgrounds, 0 health, 2 civic, 16 food and drink; 0 cycleway segments, 30 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zoneyes, tract 12081000105 (rural)HUD
Housing permits, Manatee County (FL), 20241,782 units in 5+ unit buildings, 60 in 2–4, 5,630 single-family; 2023: 1,996 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 1.00; socioeconomic 0.97; housing and transport 0.99; 54% below 150% of poverty; 17% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Overture Mapsno place match; building footprint 59,823 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Attention: Wikipedia page views21,017 since 2015; 3,823 in the last 12 months (-9% vs the prior 12); peak 2021-11 with 490Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +7% (3,775 → 4,031); median income +13% ($26,186 → $29,707); renters 54% → 42%; median home value +36% ($63,300 → $85,900)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively high overall (score 85.5); expected annual loss $2.6M; high: hurricane, tornado, lightning; community resilience relatively lowFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km1 LIHTC properties, 226 units: Mira Lagos (226 units)HUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)21,314 jobs in 1,396 establishments; average annual pay $44,207; employment location quotient 1.48; employment -6.0% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20222,127 jobs; 640 in retail trade, 240 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 12081000105)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 33th income percentile as adults; 4.3% incarcerated at the 2010 count (1,147 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; poverty rate 37.5%; median family income $27,295; 596 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsManatee County School District (PK-12); 3 public schools within 1 mile: SOUTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL; WILLIAM MONROE ROWLETT ACADEMY FOR ARTS AND COMMUNICATION; ROWLETT MIDDLE ACADEMYNCES EDGE
Elevation17 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-202560 county-logged events: 25 thunderstorm wind, 11 tornado, 10 flood, 5 lightning; $3,968,000 property damage reported; 5 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 34205, 2026-09median list price $289,250 (-3.1% on the year); 165 active listings; median 92 days on market; 25% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20231,393 establishments (+23%); 21,822 jobs (+30%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $408,269 (-2% 1 yr, +12% 5 yr); typical rent $2,031/mo (-0% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)42,000 vehicles a day on CORTEZ RD (principal arterial, 4 lanes); 1,848 trucks; 25 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

DeSoto Square Mall opened in 1973 and operated as an enclosed shopping center until its permanent closure in April 2021. Following a 2020 foreclosure, the mall was demolished and, in 2024, Madison Communities acquired the site to build an apartment community.

Why. The record shows a foreclosure in 2020 leading to the 2021 closure, after which the property was demolished. Specific anchor‑store losses, competition, or debt details are not stated in the record.

Where it stands. The site is demolished and under construction as an apartment community controlled by Madison Communities following its 2024 purchase.

For a planner

  • Zoning changed to apartment use with entitlement secured in 2024.
  • The redevelopment follows a mixed‑use strategy (redevelop, reinhabit) noted in the record.
  • Open questions include how the new housing will integrate with surrounding infrastructure and services.
  • Another open question is the long‑term market demand for housing on the former mall site.

For a developer

  • Site size: 100 acres.
  • Control: Madison Communities acquired the property in a 2024 sale for $47 million.
  • Entitlement stage: entitlement year 2024, planning notes indicate an apartment community.
  • Constraints such as flood risk, transit access, or environmental factors are not detailed in the record.
  • Market signals: opp_score 30, county grew 11.3% (2018‑23), median rent $1,549, and the opp_reasons highlight the large site size and housing focus.

What we do not know yet

  • Exact demolition timeline and current construction progress are not provided.
  • Details on anchor tenant losses, competition, or debt levels that led to foreclosure are missing.
  • Environmental constraints (flood zones, wetlands, contamination) are not listed in the record.
  • Transit access and infrastructure capacity impacts are unspecified.
  • The record is marked as “draft” verified, indicating some fields may be model‑extracted and unreviewed.

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

  • Regency Square Mall, Jacksonville, FL · Malls · similar size (74 acres); opened 1967; closed 2025
  • Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, MD · Malls · similar size (100 acres); opened 1978; closed 2023
  • Sarasota Square Mall, Sarasota, FL · Malls · opened 1977; closed 2024; same strategy: redevelop, reinhabit
  • Lafayette Square Mall, Indianapolis, IN · Malls · similar size (80 acres); opened 1968; closed 2022

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

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

Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built
  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • 100 acres
  • county grew 11.3% 2018–23
  • median rent $1,549
  • housing in the record

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

Opened1973Wikidata
Closed2021extracted, unreviewed
documented
On April 29, 2021, it was announced that the mall would officially close the next day.

en.wikipedia.org

Acres100extracted, unreviewed
documented
Bradenton Mall Corporation bought 100 acres (0.40 km2) along US 301 and Cortez Road for $1.6 million from 32 property owners.

en.wikipedia.org

Original developerEdward J. DeBartolo Corporationextracted, unreviewed
documented
The center was built by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1973.

en.wikipedia.org

AnchorsDillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Maas Brothers, Belk-Lindsey, Burdines-Macy's
CountyManatee County
Census division5 · South Atlantic
NotesWikipedia categories: Defunct shopping malls in the United States

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

Background

DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida, United States. It was built in 1973 and permanently closed on April 30, 2021.

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

Timeline

  1. 1971 land acquired
  2. 1973 Opened (Wikidata)
  3. 1973 opened
  4. 1976 visited by Reagan
  5. 1978 demolition
  6. 1996 sold to Simon
  7. 2012 acquired by Mason
  8. 2017 sold to Meyer
  9. 2020 foreclosure
  10. 2021 closed
  11. 2024 redevelopment

Sources

  • Wikipedia: DeSoto Square Mall · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed, zoning change
    17 quoted sentences
    On April 29, 2021, it was announced that the mall would officially close the next day.
    Bradenton Mall Corporation bought 100 acres (0.40 km2) along US 301 and Cortez Road for $1.6 million from 32 property owners.
    The center was built by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1973.
    In August 2024, Madison Communities... announced that it had secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.

More in Florida

Boca MallBoca Raton, FL · 1998Redeveloped · Regreened · Redevelopment:mixed use Partial regreening: parkCentre of TallahasseeCentre of TallahasseeTallahassee, FL · 2015Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, mixed useDadeland MallDadeland MallKendall, FL · 2012Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, open-air retail and restaurantEast Lake Square MallTampa, FL · 1999Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: officeFashion MallPlantation, FL · 2018Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment: mixed useLakeland MallLakeland, FL · 1999Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: religious