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Sawgrass Mills
Sawgrass Mills logo
A green sign shaped like an alligator welcoming people to Sawgrass Mills.
A welcome sign at the Green Toad Road entrance to Sawgrass Mills in February 2022
LocationSunrise, Florida, U.S.
Coordinates26°09′05″N 80°19′15″W / 26.151353°N 80.320778°W / 26.151353; -80.320778
Address
  • 12801 W. Sunrise Blvd, 33323
  • 2614/1800 Sawgrass Mills Circle
OpenedOctober 4, 1990 (1990-10-04)
Renovated
  • March 2004 by Mills
  • June–December 2016
  • 2019–2023
Developer
ManagementSimon Property Group
Owner
Architect
  • Arquitectonica
  • Imagineity: Art in Architecture
  • BCT Design Group
  • Craven Thompson & Associates, Inc.
Stores400+ (at peak)
30 (at peak)
Floor area2,370,610 square feet (220,237 m2)[1] ranked 12th
Floors1 (2 in BrandsMart USA, Matchbox, and former Hard Rock Cafe[a])
Parking
Websitewww.simon.com/mall/sawgrass-mills
Building details
A red and yellow entrance supported by two pillars on each side, with "THE OASIS AT SAWGRASS MILLS" branding on top.
The Oasis at Sawgrass Mills in December 2008
General information
StatusOperational
Named forThe Everglades
Construction started
1988 (1988)
Completed1989[2]
Design and construction
Main contractorWhiting-Turner[2]
Renovating team
Architects
  • Birdair, Inc.
  • D'Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects, Inc. (D'AIQ)
  • RSM Design
Renovating firmSimon Property Group
Main contractorHawkins Construction

Sawgrass Mills is a super-regional outlet mall in Sunrise, Florida. It is owned by Simon Property Group, which manages the mall, and KanAm Grund Group, a German-based investment firm. The mall has 2,370,610 square feet (220,237 m2) of retail, dining, and entertainment space. It is one of the largest shopping centers in the Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area, being ranked as the 12th largest mall in the United States.[b]

The mall was developed by Western Development Corporation (which completed a corporate spin-off as The Mills Corporation in April 1994).[c] It also includes The Colonnade Outlets and The Oasis at Sawgrass Mills, both outdoor facilities adjacent to the mall that offer luxury stores and entertainment options, respectively. The mall's main direct competitor is Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater, Miami-Dade County, Florida.

Overview

Sunset view of an outdoor mall concourse with cars parked and palm trees visible.
The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills at sunset in February 2022
An up-close view of the Grand Lux Cafe restaurant at The Colonnade Outlets.
The Grand Lux Cafe at The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills at night in February 2022

Designed in the shape of an alligator, Sawgrass Mills opened in October 1990 as the third Landmark Mills mall (and flagship) developed by Western Development Corporation. The mall has been expanded multiple times since then, and is located next to Amerant Bank Arena.[3][4] There are over 400 retail outlets and name brand discounters. There is also a hotel on-property, AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Mills/Sunrise, which is operated by AC Hotels by Marriott.[5]

Because of its size, Sawgrass Mills is divided into three parts: the main mall, The Oasis, and The Colonnade Outlets.[3][4] The mall is named after saw grass, Cladium mariscus subsp. jamaicense, a very common plant in the Everglades. The mall's west Broward location was part of the Everglades before human development and is less than a mile from the remaining Everglades (just beyond the nearby Sawgrass Expressway/State Road 869).[4]

History

A panoramic view of the entire Sawgrass Mills complex. Trees are in the background.
Panoramic photograph of the Sawgrass Mills complex taken on July 7, 2018.

1988–1990: Planning and construction

In 1988, the Washington, D.C.-based Western Development Corporation, led by Herbert S. Miller, announced that they would develop a shopping center in South Florida. This would be their third Landmark Mills mall, after Potomac Mills opening in September 1985 and Franklin Mills in May of the following year. It would be built on a 442 acres (179 ha) parcel of land in Sunrise, just outside Fort Lauderdale. Previously, the land and surrounding area were swamps and rural areas, once connected to the nearby Everglades. This is where the mall gained its name, "Sawgrass Mills", because of the plant commonly found in the Everglades. The mall would have seven anchors and over 200 outlet stores. On April 21, Western would announce that three anchors were officially moving into the mall: Sears, Waccamaw Pottery, and a European grocery store. The grocery store would eventually not be an anchor. An IKEA would also be in the plans, however, an agreement was never reached between them and Western.[6]

On May 24, 1988, the Miami-based architectural firm Arquitectonica would unveil design plans for Sawgrass Mills. The plans included entrance designs and the mall's exterior, and that it would be three-quarters of a mile long, though no information on the interior would be revealed yet. Construction would officially begin that month.[7] The mall was developed as a joint venture with the German-based KanAm Grund Group, an investment firm that frequently partnered with Western and Mills.[8] In April 1989, the mall announced that BrandsMart USA would become another anchor tenant.[9] The 49th Street Galleria, an amusement center with bowling, arcade games, roller skating, and restaurants, would also be a planned anchor. It would be the second location after opening in Franklin Mills the same year.[10] The landscape architects for the project were Craven Thompson & Associates, Inc.[11]

In May 1990, a few months before the mall's opening, two more anchors would officially be part of the mall: Phar-Mor and the 49th Street Galleria.[12] On May 21, 1990, Robert Hottinger, a construction worker installing drywall, fell from a scaffold at the mall. He would pass away four days later.[13] Later, VF Factory Outlet, Inc. would become the last official anchor.[14] In July 1990, marketing and advertising for the new mall would begin appearing across the region, including airplane banners, newspaper ads, and television and radio commercials, leading up to its opening in three months. Media previews would also be held.[15] On August 20, 1990, Waccamaw opened its store more than a month before Sawgrass Mills opened. This would be due to confusion with another anchor, Sears, supposedly opening the weekend prior, inspiring Waccamaw to open as well.[16] Sears Outlet would officially open on September 5, 1990.[17]

1990–2001: Grand opening and The Oasis at Sawgrass Mills

The Oasis Entry 3 (March 2000)

After two years of construction, Sawgrass Mills celebrated its grand opening on October 4, 1990 at 9 a.m. EDT, with a massive parade led by Apollo 12 astronaut Pete Conrad (the third man to walk on the moon) and a jazz performance by Dizzy Gillespie. The mall opened in two stages.[18] Original tenants included the BrandsMart USA/Sears Outlet wing at the eastern end, extending past the Garden Food Court (next to Sears, previously the Hurricane Food Court), to the Books-A-Million store at the western end of the mall. The second stage, which opened November 15, 1990, extended the mall westward of the Books-A-Million store, past a second food court, the Market Food Court (next to Dick's Sporting Goods, previously the Sports Food Court) to new Marshalls and Spiegel Outlets. Cobb Theatres built an 18-screen cinema located at the Northeast corner of the mall, opening in December 1991, being disconnected from the main mall.[19] Target Greatland was added to the east wing of the mall, opening in July 1992.[20] Phar-Mor was another early anchor to the mall.[21] Sam's Club, Walmart's warehouse store division, opened outside of the mall to customers in 1993[22], alongside Kmart, which opened a 109,000 sq ft (10,100 m2) Pace Membership Warehouse[23], which was eventually converted into another Sam's Club after Walmart acquired Pace.[24]

Originally, the concourses were named and themed, and each turn was considered a "Court" and named for the architectural style it featured. The original mall concourses (running west to east) were Modern Main Street, Mediterranean Main Street, Art Deco Main Street, and Caribbean Main Street. The courts were (running west to east) Entertainment Court, Cabana Court, Video Court, Rotunda Court, and New Ideas Court. Mall entrances were named after the entrance roads leading up to them, which included Yellow Toucan, Green Toad, Purple Parrot, White Seahorse, Red Snapper, Blue Dolphin, and Pink Flamingo.[25]

In April 1994, Sears Outlet closed permanently after only nearly four years in operation. It was quickly replaced by JCPenney Catalog Outlet (later JCPenney Outlet Store). Then-General Manager Dan Cetina announced in the Sun Sentinel that TJ Maxx would open at Sawgrass Mills in June of that year. Loehmann's would take over the former Saks Fifth Avenue space, as Saks relocated to a larger space within the mall. Service Merchandise would develop a 55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2) store near Burlington Coat Factory, with an expected completion by the end of 1994. Chicago-based Discovery Zone was also interested in establishing a children's play area at Sawgrass Mills.[26] Both Service Merchandise and TJ Maxx anchored a Phase II addition, known as Veranda Main Street (Avenue Two, now The Loop), opened November 14, 1995. It ran parallel to the middle mall corridor (Avenue Three, now also The Loop). The first Neiman Marcus Last Call location opened in the former Spiegel Outlet space. Local retailer L. Luria & Sons was slated to open an anchor at Sawgrass Mills.[21] A lawsuit ensued, however, when Service Merchandise opened instead, and Luria's blamed The Mills Corporation for choosing Service Merchandise instead.[27]

By mid-June 1996, Sawgrass Mills featured Warner Bros. Studio Store.[28] Rainforest Cafe opened on November 20, 1996, in the Cabana Court next to the animatronic pond. The pond was modified to align with the restaurant's rainforest theme.[29] In June 1997, Cobb Theatres would be acquired by Regal Cinemas for $200 million, and as a result, the Sawgrass Mills movie theater was rebranded as Regal Sawgrass 18 in September of that year.[30]

In October–December 1998[31][32], Hard Rock Cafe agreed with The Mills Corporation to open a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) restaurant with two floors at Sawgrass Mills as its fourth location in Florida[33], as Mills planned to develop an outdoor entertainment center at Entry 3 of Sawgrass Mills, called The Oasis at Sawgrass Mills. It was designed by Imagineity (formerly known as Art in Architecture)[34], and had its grand opening on April 15, 1999, originally featuring Jillian's Entertainment, Ron Jon Surf Shop, and Foot Locker Outlet. This became the mall's first outdoor concourse, bringing it out from near Burlington Coat Factory to Regal Cinemas, which was expanded to 23 screens and became Regal Sawgrass 23.[35] GameWorks, then operated by Sega, Universal Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation, opened at The Oasis in mid-May 1999.[36] Hard Rock Cafe would be adjacent to GameWorks, and had its grand opening on July 7 of that year.[37] The Warner Bros. Studio Store closed permanently in December 2001 as a result of the AOL-Time Warner merger.[38]

2000–2009: The Colonnade Outlets and Simon Property Group

An alligator sign with an italicized "Sawgrass Mills" branding in all caps. On top of it is a bird sign with the text "The Oasis", also in all caps.
The mall's original welcome sign at the Green Toad Entrance before 2019–2023 remodel (March 2012)

The Cheesecake Factory and Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse opened at The Oasis in March 2000 and 2003, respectively.[39] Nordstrom Rack opened in the fall of that year at The Oasis.[40]

Hard Rock Cafe closed permanently on May 9, 2004[41] to open a new cafe at the newly-developed Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, which had its grand opening one week prior.[42] Wannado City opened in the spring of 2004.[4] It was an indoor amusement center for kids who were able to work real-world jobs in a miniature city. Later, The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills, designed by the Baltimore, Maryland-based BCT Design Group, opened in March 2006.[4] That same month, the mall's Target Greatland was rebranded as SuperTarget. The Colonnade Outlets is an outdoor outlet shopping plaza that featured outlets of more upscale brands, including St. John, Burberry, Coach, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, and Tommy Bahama and restaurants such as Grand Lux Cafe, P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Villagio, and Zinburger. Nike Factory Store opened on May 31, 2006.[43]

In March of 2004, Sawgrass Mills began renovating the main mall building's interior. This included new flooring, lighting, repaints, and furniture. Navigation would be updated in the form of "color-coded neighborhoods". This would later result in the concourses being numbered and renamed "Avenues" instead of Main Streets. Mall entrances also became numbered to represent which Avenue the entrance would lead to (i.e. Entry 4 leading to Avenue Four). The "Courts" were removed from the directory with this change. The animatronic pond in front of Rainforest Cafe was also converted into Cha Cha's Adventure Area, a kids' playground.[44][45] In May 2006, The Mills Corporation was being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) due to extensive accounting irregularities and fraudulent financial reporting. As a result, in February 2007, The Mills Corp.'s portfolio, including Sawgrass Mills, would be acquired by Simon Property Group and Farallon Capital Management for $1.64 billion, following the rejection of Brookfield Asset Management's offer in January of that year, which offered to acquire The Mills Corp. for $1.35 billion.[46] The acquisition was completed in April 2007, and The Mills Corporation was rebranded as The Mills: A Simon Company.[47] The Colonnade Outlets received its first expansion in June 2009[48], featuring Tory Burch, John Varvartos, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Ted Baker.[49]

2010–2018: Gator Garden and Town Center at Sawgrass Mills

A pink store branded as Barbie The Dreamhouse Experience.
Exterior of Barbie Dreamhouse Experience (April 2014)

In June 2010, Sawgrass Mills launched the "Gator Glam" project, a juried art exhibition featuring 7-foot-tall, customized, and painted alligator statues to celebrate the mall's 20th anniversary. These statues were installed in the Colonnade Outlets area, and local artists were invited to submit designs in June 2010 to be featured by October. Art and Culture Center of Hollywood partnered with the mall to select at least 20 artist-designed, freestanding alligator sculptures. Specific designs included an Everglades-themed alligator, one designed by Alejandro Cuadra named "Fiery Gator," and several others displaying unique artwork. The sculptures were primarily placed near the Colonnade Outlets area to enhance the, at the time, new luxury section.[50]

Bloomingdale's - The Outlet Store opened a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) anchor store at Sawgrass Mills on November 17, 2010. The opening took place at 9:30 a.m. EST with live entertainment by Dixieland Band.[51] This was their second outlet location in Florida following Dolphin Mall, which opened one month prior, and their third outlet location overall, with their first one being at Potomac Mills.[52] Wannado City closed permanently on January 12, 2011 after struggling financially.[53] In June 2011, Simon Property Group announced a massive 180,000-square-foot (17,000 m2) expansion and redevelopment project for Sawgrass Mills. This was the mall's first major growth phase in two years, intended to attract high-end retailers. The project included demolition of the former Wannado City building.[54] In October 2011, the mall's JCPenney Outlet Store was announced to be spun-off and rebranded as JC's 5 Star Outlet by its new owner, SB Capital Group, as JCPenney made a strategic plan to exit the outlet business, reorganize operations, and focus on its core department store business, which included selling 15 of its outlet locations to new management led by Glen Gammons.[55]

That same month, GameWorks was rebranded as GameRoom Sawgrass (or simply GameRoom), and Johnny Rockets opened there.[56] In March 2012, Simon Property Group acquired full control of the property's management by buying out Farallon's stake in 26 Landmark Mills malls for $1.5 billion.[57] In the spring of 2013, Sawgrass Mills opened a new section, Fashion Row, on the former site of Wannado City, with 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) of retail space. This redevelopment allowed Forever 21 to move into a massive 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) space, and provided a 20,000 sq ft (1,900 m2) location for Calvin Klein. Columbia Sportswear Company was also included in the expansion.[58] In January 2013, the mall's Spec's Music was converted into an FYE (For Your Entertainment).[59]

On May 8, 2013, the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience had its grand opening in the former Hard Rock Cafe space, designed as the second biggest tourist attraction in Florida after Walt Disney World.[60] However, the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience was met with heavy criticism, with locals specifically citing sexism.[61] Despite this, Mattel extended the lease of the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience at Sawgrass Mills in September 2013 to last until the end of August 2015, as a result of the massive number of attendance on its opening day.[62] In contrast, JC's 5 Star Outlet was largely unsuccessful, and in October 2013, the company announced it would close all of its stores, including Sawgrass Mills, by the end of the year.[63] The Barbie Dreamhouse Experience closed its doors at the end of August 2015, leaving the former Hard Rock Cafe space abandoned for another two years. In May 2016, Sports Authority announced that it would also close all of its stores – including Sawgrass Mills – after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which was previously Chapter 11. Liquidation sales were visible at this time.[64] A renovation for The Oasis was announced in June 2016, with an expected completion of December of that year. The architects of the renovation, D'Agostino Izzo Quirk of Somerville, Massachusetts and Birdair, explained that for shade, canopy structures would be added, and the directory would be updated.[65]

A new parking garage opened next to The Colonnade Outlets in September 2016, which itself received an expansion at the same time, featuring new stores including Tory Burch, John Varvartos, Giorgio Armani, Versace, and Ted Baker. The expansion also opened a new restaurant, Matchbox.[66] GameRoom was sold to Family Entertainment Group (FEG) and rebranded once more as In the Game Sawgrass Mills (stylized/or simply In The Game).[67] Century 21 Department Store opened in December 2016, which removed Cha Cha's Adventure Area due to the store needing to expand.[68] Texas de Brazil opened on March 13, 2017 in the former Barbie Dreamhouse Experience space, with the Sawgrass Mills location being their 50th restaurant.[69] In June 2017, Dick's Sporting Goods would move into the former Sports Authority anchor space.[70] In October 2017, Yard House announced an opening at The Oasis.[71] H&M opened a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) flagship-style store on November 16, 2017[72], taking over space formerly held by TJ Maxx, which moved to a larger 54,000 sq ft (5,000 m2) site.[73] An expansion was opened in late 2018 called the Town Center at Sawgrass Mills which featured 25 full-price retailers, four new sit down restaurants, and another new parking garage for 2,000 vehicles. The new expansion is located next to The Colonnade Outlets and extends the stores.[74]

2019–present: Florida Panthers

In February 2019, Sawgrass Mills began a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation, with a plan to celebrate its 30th anniversary in October 2020. New tenants included the adidas Outlet Store[75] and Sephora.[76] A True Food Kitchen location was scheduled to open at Sawgrass Mills in the spring of 2020. The Levi's Outlet Store was expanded. Continuing through May 2019, remodeling of Sawgrass Mills included the original enclosed portions, such new signage, paint, aesthetics, and furniture, to bring it up-to-date with Simon's other properties. After the completion of the mall's renovations, the concourses and mall entrances were renamed again, this time returning to names instead of numbers, removing the "Avenues" tag. Since then, the mall concourses have been branded as (from west to east) West End, Fashion Row, The Loop, The Oasis, and East Side.[77] The renovations were designed by RSM Design and were largely completed by 2023.[78]

Seasons 52 opened adjacent to Matchbox in April 2019.[79] In August 2019, Barneys New York Warehouse announced that their location would close as part of plan to close 15 locations nationwide after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[80] Shake Shack opened in a portion of the former Hard Rock Cafe space on December 23, 2019, adjacent to Texas de Brazil.[81][82] Primark would open in the former JC's 5 Star Outlet/Sears Outlet space in October 2020.[83] All Simon properties in the U.S., including Sawgrass Mills, closed temporarily on March 18–19, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[84] The mall reopened in late May of that year.[85] On September 10, 2020, it was announced that Century 21 Department Store would be closing all stores, including the Sawgrass Mills location.[86] This location closed on December 6, 2020. Q Store California opened in the former site of Century 21 the following year.

AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Mills/Sunrise opened on March 31, 2021, designed by Stantec and developed by Norwich Partners LLC in partnership with Simon Property Group.[87] On September 15, 2022, it was announced that Bed Bath & Beyond would close 150 stores nationwide as part of a plan to close stores. The former Century 21 was eventually replaced by an Epic Pickleball & Padel Athletic Club, while the former Bed Bath & Beyond was eventually replaced by a general store in mid-August 2025 called Super Bins. Both openings add new experiences and stores to the mall.[88] Announced on September 26 of that year, HomeSense would open in August 2023 adjacent to Primark.[89]

In September 2024, Simon Property Group partnered with the Florida Panthers to host a naming contest for their new 7-foot-tall alligator statue, celebrating the team's Stanley Cup championship.[90] In October 2024, Currito Burrito, Sbarro, and Japan Cafe at Sawgrass Mills were shut down temporarily after inspectors discovered food temperature issues and a rodent infestation.[91]

Matchbox was ordered to close on June 27, 2025 due to repeated flying insect problems.[92] In mid-October 2025, Skims would open.[93] Forever 21 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and announced in March 2025 that it would close its location at Sawgrass Mills, alongside other stores in the country.[94] Saks Global also filed for bankruptcy, and as a result, Neiman Marcus Last Call would close its doors at Sawgrass Mills, with liquidation sales starting in February 2026. However, the mall's Saks Off 5th would remain operational.[95] That month, Disney Character Warehouse announced that it would close permanently on April 15, 2026 after refusing to renew its lease.[96]

Adjacent facilities

The Mills Corporation and KanAm Grund Group also developed a power center nearby Sawgrass Mills, known as Sawgrass Square, which opened in 1996 at 12500 W. Sunrise Boulevard with a gross leaseable area of 118,416 square feet (11,001.2 m2).[97] Unlike the main complex, Sawgrass Square is managed by Southeast Centers and features anchors for daily needs, such as Publix Super Markets, Ross Dress For Less, Office Depot, and Dunkin' Donuts.[98]

Notable incidents

Summer 1999 shooting

On July 4, 1999, three days before Hard Rock Cafe opened, Troy Donahue Bennett, a 22-year-old employee at the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet, allegedly attempted to kidnap and rob his manager, Jose Padilla, as the store was closing. After Padilla managed to escape, Bennett chased him through the Oasis entertainment complex. The pursuit moved into the Cheesecake Factory restaurant, where Bennett caught and shot Padilla in the neck and shoulder. A bystander from California, Michael Azizi, was also struck by a stray bullet in the abdomen. Bennett fled the scene, attempted to carjack two vehicles, and successfully stole a white Toyota Camry before being arrested the following day.[99]

Spring 2022 jewelry robbery

At approximately 8:45 p.m. EDT on April 27, 2022 — just before the mall closed — a trio consisting of one woman and two men entered the Pollack Jewelers store. The woman pepper-sprayed two employees to incapacitate them while the two men used hammers to smash glass display cases. The thieves targeted high-end luxury watches, including brands Rolex and Cartier. They made off with a full tray of watches. The suspects fled the scene in a silver four-door sedan. The store's location at the end of the mall (between Marshalls and Neiman Marcus) provided easy access to two nearby exits for a quick escape. While there were no serious physical injuries, the employees were left severely rattled; the store owner noted that the two victims were too traumatized to return to work.[100]

See also

References and notes

  1. The tenants that replaced HRC do not have two floors anymore.
  2. It is ranked as the 12th on Wikipedia. However, the ratings may vary on other sources. The source for the main contractor claims that it is ranked 11th. Some other sources rank it as the 10th. The difference in ratings is if the "largest" refers to total square footage or the amount of gross leasable area.
  3. The infobox shows The Mills Corporation as the developer rather than Western Development Corporation to better reflect on the entire complex. The Oasis and The Colonnade Outlets opened after the spinoff.
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