Orlando's aging malls aim for retail comeback

A hotel, restaurant, skate park and glass-blowing studio all are part of a second life for Central Florida's retail destinations as malls remake themselves to attract shoppers.

The next 12 months will see the continued reinvention of Artegon Marketplace with new retailers. Orlando Fashion Square mall will add a hotel and restaurant, aiming to make the central Orange County destination a big draw once again.

The malls, in particular, are facing intense pressure in the retail world, experts say.

"The market is splitting into luxury goods at the high end to the high-value offerings at the lower end," said Steve Kirn, executive director of the University of Florida's David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research. "People in the middle are struggling, and malls are right in the middle of that."

Orlando Fashion Square is working to reestablish itself as the preferred shopping destination for the central part of the metropolitan area, said mall manager Brian Smalls.

The mall added a bowling alley and entertainment center in 2014 called Strikeouts. The business also includes a caf and arcade, which is part of the mall's plan to bring in customers with entertainment destinations to complement the retail stores.

This year, the mall plans to start major construction on a new Element by Westin hotel, to be built on the south side between Macy's and Panera Bread.

"It's really about making this the place to go for people that live immediately around the mall," he said. "We have great neighborhoods like College Park and Baldwin Park, and we have to show them that this is their mall."

A new T.G.I. Friday's restaurant is part of that plan and a new Noodles and Co. is also under construction on Fashion Square property on Colonial Drive.

Anchor department store Dillard's changed its strategy at the mall with a clearance center that sells discounted merchandise. High end retailers are trying to diversify their base of customers, pushing stores such as Dillards to follow the lead of Saks 5th Avenue and Nordstrom rack in opening centers that feature lower prices, Kirn said.

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Orlando's aging malls aim for retail comeback