24-04-2025
10 Florida malls, shopping centers on chopping block as owner plans sale of all properties
Washington Prime Group, the owner of about 70 malls around the United States, including 10 in Florida, is selling its remaining malls and shopping centers.
The company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2021, also is laying off 139 workers at its Ohio headquarters.
Washington Prime said about half of its properties were sold in 2024.
"As part of WPG's multi-year journey, the company continues to sell assets in its portfolio, with about half of WPG's properties sold in the past year, while the remainder of the portfolio is or will soon be on the market," the company said in a statement.
Here's what is happening.
Florida malls owned by Washington Prime Group are:
University Town Plaza, Pensacola
Orange Park Mall, Orange Park
Paddock Mall, Ocala
Gaitway Plaza, Ocala
West Town Corners, Altamonte Springs
Melbourne Square Mall, Melbourne
WestShore Plaza, Tampa
Edison Mall, Fort Myers
Boynton Beach Mall, Boynton Beach
Royal Eagle Plaza, Coral Springs
Washington Prime Group said on its website it owns 70+ properties in the U.S., with most located in the Southwest and Midwest. Based on its online map, states with the most malls and shopping centers are:
Florida: 10
Texas: 9
Ohio: 4
Indiana: 4
There's no specific date but the company said, "the remainder of the portfolio is or will soon be on the market."
Half of the company's properties sold in the past year, with sales of all remaining sites coming.
Washington Prime Group, which also owns Polaris Fashion Place, will lay off 139 workers at its Columbus, Ohio, headquarters as it sells malls and shopping centers across the U.S.
The company said the workers will be laid off starting June 2, with all layoffs occurring by March 31, 2026.
"WPG is reducing its headcount to reflect the downsized organization," according to a statement.
Mall owner Washington Prime Group Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June 2021, citing the COVID-19 pandemic for making the move necessary.
The company, which spun off from the nation's largest mall operator, Simon Property Group in 2014, had 102 shopping centers at the time.
Contributor: Jim Weiker, Columbus Dispatch
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 10 Florida malls, shopping centers to be sold by Washington Prime Group
