Volusia Mall
"Daytona's neighborhood mall experience"
1700 W International Speedway Blvd Daytona Beach, FL 32114
(386) 253-6785
(386) 253-6785
Daytona’s only real shopping mall, Volusia was opened in 1974 to accommodate not only the city of Daytona but other Flagler County Florida middle class standards as the Jacksonville
An Historic Angle: 39-year-old Volusia Mall is one of the oldest that I have had the good fortune to be able to reach for a review on an ordinary Saturday, without having to plan for a weekend or vacation tour. (Regency Square is the oldest, dating to 1967). I would like to do further research into who manages and owns it, but as far as I can tell, some aspect of the economy has prevented the mall from doing renovations to make it the "latest and greatest" for a modern shopping experience.
By doing a little exploring and asking a few questions, I was able to find some history peeking through.
some renovations and updates were done in the 1980's and 1990's, but it does not appear that any major ones have been since. The color scheme of the tile floors and the food court sign suggest that time frame. Looking very closely at the structure itself, there are actually elements of all three decades. The simple and a bit worn interiors of the department stores could be any of the decades, but most likely reflect whenever they were last upgraded and most of the department stores changed names and ownership through the 80's and 90's. The 70's haven't been completely erased from the mall, however. In little hidden corners and corridors, they can be found. The public hallway that features the mall office and some restrooms has a unique pattern in the wall. It is a light mint green, which is probably not the original color, but the cinder block walls have diamond-shaped pieces poking out, coming to a point in the center. It reminds me of 70's fascination with retro and geometric features in design.
In one of the JCPenney fitting rooms, there is a vintage mercury thermostat still fixed to the wall (though whether or not it works, I couldn't tell)
Sears is the original store it was 39 years ago. It looks like it has been updated a little bit, but at the same time it still seems dated. I asked one of the more seasoned employees if she knew the history and she confirmed that this was always a Sears. I asked if any of the original employees loved their job so much that 39 years later they were still here, but she said they'd all retired. It was worth a shot.
She did know a random fact: she said that someone told her that when the forest was cleared away to build the mall, about a dozen feral cats were released to kill all the rodents and other pests that could have interfered with it.
The mall office is only open from 9-5 during the week days, the same as my working hours, but some day I hope to have to opportunity to go back and dig up historical information from the mall's first years.
By doing a little exploring and asking a few questions, I was able to find some history peeking through.
some renovations and updates were done in the 1980's and 1990's, but it does not appear that any major ones have been since. The color scheme of the tile floors and the food court sign suggest that time frame. Looking very closely at the structure itself, there are actually elements of all three decades. The simple and a bit worn interiors of the department stores could be any of the decades, but most likely reflect whenever they were last upgraded and most of the department stores changed names and ownership through the 80's and 90's. The 70's haven't been completely erased from the mall, however. In little hidden corners and corridors, they can be found. The public hallway that features the mall office and some restrooms has a unique pattern in the wall. It is a light mint green, which is probably not the original color, but the cinder block walls have diamond-shaped pieces poking out, coming to a point in the center. It reminds me of 70's fascination with retro and geometric features in design.
In one of the JCPenney fitting rooms, there is a vintage mercury thermostat still fixed to the wall (though whether or not it works, I couldn't tell)
Sears is the original store it was 39 years ago. It looks like it has been updated a little bit, but at the same time it still seems dated. I asked one of the more seasoned employees if she knew the history and she confirmed that this was always a Sears. I asked if any of the original employees loved their job so much that 39 years later they were still here, but she said they'd all retired. It was worth a shot.
She did know a random fact: she said that someone told her that when the forest was cleared away to build the mall, about a dozen feral cats were released to kill all the rodents and other pests that could have interfered with it.
The mall office is only open from 9-5 during the week days, the same as my working hours, but some day I hope to have to opportunity to go back and dig up historical information from the mall's first years.
Who it’s for: Daytona, like Orange park, is home to about an equal population of both African American and Caucasian residents. Both can be seen strolling the mall at about a 50/50 ratio. As far as economic classes go, this mall is another portrait of the average American middle class shopping experience. The stores here merchandise on a middle to lower price point basis, making it practical for most anyone.
Its best assets: It is the only mall in the area that has a Macy’s. It also has an outward-facing books-a-million (like Orange Park
On the more unusual side, near the food court the mall actually has a small family owned bar that has taken one of the smaller store fronts. It is a German pub and cafe, complete with decorative beer steins hanging all over the walls. I have never seen a bar in a mall before.
On the more unusual side, near the food court the mall actually has a small family owned bar that has taken one of the smaller store fronts. It is a German pub and cafe, complete with decorative beer steins hanging all over the walls. I have never seen a bar in a mall before.
Other great retail: The mall is anchored by JcPenney, Macy's, Dillard's, Dillard's and Dillard's. Yes, you read right. For some reason, the mall has three Dillards. They appear to be women's Dillard's, Men's Dillard's and Juniors/Children's Dillard's. The mall is one floor but the departments stores are two. All three Dillard's occupy both floors. Among the well-known brands within the mall are PacSun, Buckle, Hollister , Victoria
What it lacks: Since it is a middle class mall, you would not want to shop here if you were in the market for designer stores like Gucci, Coach or LaCoste. Dillard's and Macy's offer a few top tier brands but your best option would be to either go to Orlando or up to Jacksonville
Signs of decline: Minimal-Moderate. The mall is somewhat dated but is mostly occupied and busy during peak hours.
Rating: 3.5/5
www.volusiamall.net
Center Court. This view is of a veterans' memorial, but there are also
a few attractions for children. Originally, there was a large fountain here.
Photo at top: the mall entrance between the Books-a-million and Applebee's.
Comical side note: the man on the bicycle pictured by the mall entrance walked his bike inside the mall, past two guards who stared at him, and disappeared into the crowd. I tried to follow to see where a man with a bike would be going at the mall, out of sheer curiosity, since there is no bike store that I could find. I don't actually know where he went. He seemed to completely vanish behind a group of teenagers at the center court area.
No comments:
Post a Comment