Paddock Mall

Paddock Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Ocala, Florida. Opened in 1980, the anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's, and Belk. There is 1 anchor store, formerly occupied by Sears that is under construction to make way for a new store called the Paddock Market.

Paddock Mall

Exterior view, June 2020
Location	Ocala, Florida, United States
Coordinates	29.158824°N 82.17318°W / 29.158824; -82.17318
Address	3100 SW College St.
Opening date	August 13, 1980; 44 years ago (August 13, 1980)
Developer	Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation
Management	Jamie Zimbleman
Owner	Washington Prime Group
No. of stores and services	93
No. of anchor tenants	4 (3 open, 1 under construction)
Total retail floor area	555,310 sq ft (51,590 m2)[1]
No. of floors	1
Website	paddockmall.com

History

The first plan for Paddock Mall was made in 1973 by local developers, who sold the land to Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation.^[2] DeBartolo and Arlen Realty and Development Corporation opened Paddock Mall in 1980. Original anchors included Maas Brothers, Belk-Lindsey, and JCPenney.^[3][4]

A 1991 expansion added Sears as a fourth anchor; the same year, the Maas Brothers store was absorbed into Burdines.^[5] In 1997, a food court was added on the south end.^[6] Burdines became Burdines-Macy's in 2003 and then just Macy's in 2005.

2010s

Washington Prime Group, based in Columbus, Ohio acquired the mall along with Boynton Beach Mall, Edison Mall, Seminole Towne Center, and Melbourne Square as part of its merger with Glimcher Properties in 2014.^[7]

In 2015, Sears Holdings spun off 235 of its properties, including the Sears at Paddock Mall, into Seritage Growth Properties.^[8]

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears would be closing as part of a plan to close 142 stores nationwide.^[9]

2020s

On October 5, 2022, it was announced that the former Sears store would be redeveloped into a mixed-use development.^[10]

On December 23, 2023, a targeted shooting at Paddock Mall in Ocala, Florida, resulted in one dead (David Nathaniel Barron) and one injured. Mall evacuation took place, and a person of interest was sought. The motive is unknown, and the investigation is ongoing. Witnesses described chaos.^[11] One man killed, one woman shot in the leg at Paddock Mall in Ocala; suspect Albert Shell Jr. was arrested on January 8, 2024.^[12]