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The Avenues (shopping mall)
USINFO | 2013-05-20 14:56
The Avenues is an indoor shopping mall located on the southside of Jacksonville, Florida at the intersection of U.S. 1 (Philips Highway) and Southside Boulevard near Interstate 95. The mall opened in 1990 with four anchor stores; Gayfers, Dillard's, JCPenney and Sears.
The Gayfers anchor store was later converted to a Belk store. A Parisian department store was built later. The mall, owned by Simon Property Group, has two shopping levels and features a parking garage on the north side of the complex. Some of the 150 stores inside of the mall include: Banana Republic, H&M, Ann Taylor, Disney Store, Brookstone, MAC, The Buckle, Teavana, Williams-Sonoma, and Coach.
A major renovation in 2005 featured a new entrance with stained glass, neutral paint colors to complement Italian limestone on the ground floor, replacing restrooms, ceilings, lighting, benches and lounge chairs, and a new children's play area. Nearly $10.5 million was spent and the changes were completed in April.
On August 2, 2006, Saks Incorporated announced an agreement to sell its Parisian specialty department store business to Belk, Inc.
Shortly thereafter, the Avenues Parisian store was briefly closed and converted into Belk's men's and children's department, with the women's departments staying in the existing store. This change was reverted in February 2010, when Belk consolidated all of its departments back into its original store.
On November 18, 2010 Forever 21 opened its doors in the location formerly occupied by the Parisian store. This is Forever 21's second largest location in the country, at 116,000 square feet (at the time, the space represented 8.8% of the mall's 1.3 million square feet).
The Gayfers anchor store was later converted to a Belk store. A Parisian department store was built later. The mall, owned by Simon Property Group, has two shopping levels and features a parking garage on the north side of the complex. Some of the 150 stores inside of the mall include: Banana Republic, H&M, Ann Taylor, Disney Store, Brookstone, MAC, The Buckle, Teavana, Williams-Sonoma, and Coach.
A major renovation in 2005 featured a new entrance with stained glass, neutral paint colors to complement Italian limestone on the ground floor, replacing restrooms, ceilings, lighting, benches and lounge chairs, and a new children's play area. Nearly $10.5 million was spent and the changes were completed in April.
On August 2, 2006, Saks Incorporated announced an agreement to sell its Parisian specialty department store business to Belk, Inc.
Shortly thereafter, the Avenues Parisian store was briefly closed and converted into Belk's men's and children's department, with the women's departments staying in the existing store. This change was reverted in February 2010, when Belk consolidated all of its departments back into its original store.
On November 18, 2010 Forever 21 opened its doors in the location formerly occupied by the Parisian store. This is Forever 21's second largest location in the country, at 116,000 square feet (at the time, the space represented 8.8% of the mall's 1.3 million square feet).
