For the past several years, store after store have been closing in the West Oaks Mall, located in Ocoee, Florida. It first started with smaller stores like GameStop, Bakers, and Hot Topic. Then the large retail stores began announcing their intent to leave. Sears closed its doors on January 23rd 2013. West Oaks currently still has two big retail stores, Dillards and JCPenny. However these will close soon as well, since the entire mall has announced they will be shutting down.
The downturn in the national economy is the biggest reason for the mall’s demise. Another factor is the increase of crime in and around the mall is another factor in the decision to close. Many customers have reported being beaten and robbed.
Although the mall has steady lost the majority of its business, and only a fraction as many people shop there, in comparison to when the mall once flourished, one man is willing to buy the mall. New manager Steven Maksin has big plans for the mall, hoping to reinvent it into a thriving mall that is a family-friendly destination.
Maksin will have a lot of competition. Grove Winter Garden Village, which has expanded exponentially in the past few years, has taken a lot of the business from the West Oaks Mall and it seems to be thriving. The question is will the West Oaks Mall ever thrive like it once did?