# DeSoto Square Mall

South Bradenton, FL · mall · tier: draft · Retrofit Atlas record `m-f808fc2361` · release 2026-10-21

Canonical: https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/fl/south-bradenton-desoto-square-mall/  
JSON: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-f808fc2361.json · Provenance: https://retrofitatlas.org/data/records/m-f808fc2361.provenance.json · API: https://retrofitatlas.org/api/v1/sites/m-f808fc2361

## Facts

| Field | Value | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Status | demolished | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Strategy | redevelop, reinhabit | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| New use | retail, mixed | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| What is there now | apartment community | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Opened | 1973 | reported · Wikipedia |
| Closed | 2021 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Retrofit year | 2024 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Acres | 100.0 | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Original developer | Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Redeveloper | Madison Communities | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Owner of record | Crj Bradenton LLC | reported · Wikipedia |
| Zoning change | apartment | documented · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Entitlement year | 2024 | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |
| Planning notes | apartment community | reported · model extraction, unreviewed |

## Quoted support

- **year_closed**: “On April 29, 2021, it was announced that the mall would officially close the next day.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **acres**: “Bradenton Mall Corporation bought 100 acres (0.40 km2) along US 301 and Cortez Road for $1.6 million from 32 property owners.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **original_developer**: “The center was built by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1973.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **after_notes**: “In August 2024, Madison Communities... announced that it had secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **status**: “In 2021, Go Store It Self Storage... opened at the mall inside the former Sears.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **strategy**: “Madison Communities... secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **zoning_change**: “Madison Communities... secured a $47 million loan to build an apartment community.” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- **enclosed**: “DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida, United States.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b
- **site_acres**: “Bradenton Mall Corporation bought 100 acres (0.40 km2) along US 301 and Cortez Road for $1.6 million from 32 property owners.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b
- **contractor**: “The center was built by Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation in 1973.” — extraction-deep:nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b

## Anchors

Dillard's, JCPenney, Sears, Maas Brothers, Belk-Lindsey, Burdines-Macy's

## Parties

- Simon Property Group — owner (from text) (1996–2012)
- DeBartolo Corporation — owner (from text) (1973–1996)
- Mason Asset Management — owner (from text) (2012–2017)
- Bradenton Mall Corporation — owner (from text) (1971–1996)
- Meyer Lebovitz — owner (from text) (2017–2020)
- DeSoto Owners LLC — owner (from text) (2017–2021)

## Timeline

- 1971: land acquired
- 1973: Opened (Wikidata)
- 1973: opened
- 1976: visited by Reagan
- 1978: demolition
- 1996: sold to Simon
- 2012: acquired by Mason
- 2017: sold to Meyer
- 2020: foreclosure
- 2021: closed
- 2024: redevelopment

## Deals and debt

- 2024 sale: 47000000.0 Madison Communities ← Madison Capital Group  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- 2017 sale: 25500000.0 Meyer Lebovitz ← Mason Asset Management  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- 2012 sale: 25000000.0 Mason Asset Management ← Simon Property Group  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall
- 1996 sale:  Simon Property Group ← DeBartolo Corporation  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall

## Background (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened)

DeSoto Square Mall was an enclosed shopping mall serving Bradenton, Florida, United States. It was built in 1973 and permanently closed on April 30, 2021.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall

## Sources

- Quoted support for year_closed — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_Square_Mall

## Cite

Retrofit Atlas (2026). "DeSoto Square Mall, South Bradenton, FL." Record m-f808fc2361, release 2026-10-21, tier draft. https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/fl/south-bradenton-desoto-square-mall/ (accessed 2026-10-21).

```bibtex
@misc{retrofitatlas_southbradentondesotosquaremall,
  title = {DeSoto Square Mall, South Bradenton, FL},
  author = {{Retrofit Atlas}},
  howpublished = {\url{https://retrofitatlas.org/malls/fl/south-bradenton-desoto-square-mall/}},
  year = {2026},
  note = {Record m-f808fc2361, release 2026-10-21, tier: draft. Built on the Retrofitting Suburbia map (Dunham-Jones and Williamson) and the sources listed on the record. Accessed 2026-10-21}
}
```

Licence: research use only; terms undecided with the authors (https://retrofitatlas.org/licence/). Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0. Tiers: curated = from the authors' public map, not reviewed by them; draft = imported or model-extracted, unreviewed.