New Owners To Tear Down Tampa’s Oldest Mall, Redevelop Site: Reports

TAMPA, FL — The new owners of Tampa’s oldest mall plan to demolish it and redevelop the 54-acre site, according to reports.

Ybor City’s Third Lake Partners, which bought the property from Ohio-based Washington Prime Group for $135 million earlier this month, plans to tear down WestShore Plaza and rebuild, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The company is partnering with St. Petersburg firm Echelon on the redevelopment, according to Bay News 9.

Third Lake Partners told the Times that it won’t significantly deviate from the previous owner’s plans, approved by the city in 2024, for a new mixed-use development to include retail, restaurants, office space, apartments, medical offices, recreational facilities, a bus station and more. Specific plans haven’t been released.

The 57-year-old mall, located at the Interstate 275 and West Kennedy Boulevard interchange, is anchored by a JCPenney and AMC movie theater. Other retailers and restaurants that call the mall home include Champ Sports, Grimaldi’s, H&M, New Balance, Old Navy, P.F. Chang’s and Seasons 52.

The businesses that remain at the mall, which also include many small local shops, remain open in the meantime.

They’re worried to slow even more after news of the sale and potential redevelopment has come out, Erik Swope-Wise, who’s worked at the Urban Native Store at the mall for six years, told Bay News 9.

“We’ve done very well for several years,” he said. “The loss of anchor stores has hurt the foot traffic, and now the misinformation on what’s taken place at the mall, cause Third Lake Partners has made zero announcements about it. So, assumptions have been made, and the story is we’re closed, and we’re not.”

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