Florida's Nostalgic Mall In Orlando That Thrived In The '70s Now Feels Nearly Abandoned

Shopping malls aren't typically places people feel impassioned to preserve, but in the case of Orlando Fashion Square, there's palpable disappointment amongst the city's local community at its demise. Opened in the 1970s, the mall prospered throughout the '80s, '90s, and early 2000s, but today stands mostly void of stores and shoppers. Its journey from lively meeting and shopping destination to near-enough ghost town on the verge of demolition has tugged on heartstrings, not the least people's nostalgia for bygone days.

"In the late '70s, the mall was vibrant, bustling with people, and simply a fun place to spend time," one local, Don Schmitz, wrote on Facebook. "It's sad to me that the mall is no longer considered useful for retail stores." Photos recently emerged on the r/Florida subreddit showing just how abandoned Orlando Fashion Square looks and feels. The mall's retro architecture and design hold a haunting beauty when paired with vacant shopfronts, empty escalators, and entire levels with nothing more than potted plants and polished tiles. While curious travelers might find this abandoned mall enticing, locals are lamenting its current state.

"It's so sad. I have such fun memories of malls in the '80s and '90s," one person wrote on the subreddit. Another local reminisced on big life moments experienced within the forgotten walls: "My first job and my first kiss [were] in that mall." Orlando Fashion Square has been struggling since 2014, when staple stores like Dillard's started downgrading to outlets. Soon after, it lost Sears, then JCPenney during the COVID-19 pandemic. The region's longest-standing enclosed mall took another hit in March 2026, when its movie theater, Premiere Cinema 14, closed. Now the writing may be on the wall for Orlando Fashion Square, if the mall's land and building owners can't reach an agreement.

The mall's steady aging and lack of attention have made it somewhat of an eyesore along East Colonial Drive. Empty parking lots, dying palm trees, and a deteriorating exterior cast a shadow over this former shopping hub. Although Unicorp National Developments has proposed a $1 billion redevelopment plan, the company only owns the land beneath Orlando Fashion Square. They're currently unable to agree on the value of the buildings with current owners, Bancorp. This has left the mall in a state of limbo, still standing but barely functioning.

"The problem is the buildings haven't been taken care of, and they haven't been updated. So nobody wants to rent them. Nobody wants to be there. So the buildings are functionally obsolete," said Chuck Whittall, President of Unicorp National Developments, to WFTV. If Unicorp's plans were to go ahead, the mall would likely be demolished, making way for an open-air lifestyle property. This space would include offices, apartments, shopfronts, a theater, and more. The mall's prime location in Northeast Orlando also makes it a developer's dream. It's only 1 mile from the Milk District, Orlando's walkable arts district with food and shopping. It's also between downtown Orlando and Winter Park, a charming city with parks and boutiques.

While locals would be sad to see the mall and its remaining stores go (you can still shop at Macy's, Lily's Perfumes, and Dillard's Outlet, among others), change may be inevitable. The recent closure of its cinema has removed a significant source of foot traffic and revenue. It may be a matter of time before it's no longer providing value to its owners. Fortunately, the city has other shopping destinations, such as The Florida Mall, a top-ranked family-friendly spot just a short drive from Orlando Fashion Square.