Welcome home, fellow Gator.

The Gator Nation's oldest and most active insider community
Join today!

Oaks Mall facing foreclosure

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by g8orbill, Feb 12, 2025.

  1. g8orbill

    g8orbill Old Gator Moderator VIP Member

    127,904
    58,656
    114,663
    Apr 3, 2007
    Clermont, Fl
    • Informative Informative x 2
  2. exiledgator

    exiledgator Gruntled

    11,538
    2,081
    3,128
    Jan 5, 2010
    Maine
    Isaac Brock saw this coming in 1997:

    Here's the man with teeth like god's shoeshine
    He sparkles shimmers shines
    Let's all have another Orange Julius
    Thick syrup standing in lines
    The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
    Well so long, farewell, goodbye
     
    • Like Like x 3
  3. WC53

    WC53 GC Hall of Fame

    5,137
    1,039
    2,088
    Oct 17, 2015
    Old City
    Last I heard the major occupant was UF offices. Last I went by it 15 years ago it was all but dead.
     
  4. citygator

    citygator VIP Member

    13,120
    2,765
    3,303
    Apr 3, 2007
    Charlotte
  5. ATLGATORFAN

    ATLGATORFAN Premium Member

    3,892
    1,030
    2,153
    Aug 10, 2015
    Last time I was there was more than 20 years ago. I stopped in to shop at the Gator Gear store when I got off 75. Most malls facing similar fates
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 1
  6. g8trjax

    g8trjax GC Hall of Fame

    5,286
    467
    293
    Jun 1, 2007
    Went there last year to eat lunch and buy my boy some Vans, food court was busy but otherwise not so much.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. 96Gatorcise

    96Gatorcise Hurricane Hunter

    15,826
    26,058
    3,363
    Aug 6, 2008
    Tampa
    I worked at the Toys R Us in 95/96
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
  8. sierragator

    sierragator GC Hall of Fame

    16,185
    13,365
    1,853
    Apr 8, 2007
    Malls everywhere are a thing of the past.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  9. Kirby

    Kirby GC Legend

    890
    389
    1,983
    Sep 14, 2009
    Rocket City
    I vaguely remember 3 for 1 drinks (Funerals) and large towers of nachos at the Chelsea St Pub there back in the very early 80’s.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  10. cron78

    cron78 GC Hall of Fame

    1,336
    565
    278
    Feb 25, 2022
    Worked in the kitchen and tending bar at Chelsea Street Pub circa 1984. Prolly haven’t been back since except to catch Gator game day busses a few years ago.

    edited: One would think that I could post where I worked correctly in a “Pub” thread, hence the correction to Chelsea Street Pub from the afore mentioned Piccadilly. When Chelsea St was mentioned by AgingGator below the uncountable pitchers of beer I poured and hundreds of mountains of nachos I built came back to me with as much clarity as my remaining brain cells could muster. A lotta beers at Chelsea St and the Old College Inn back in the day did stress out a goodly number of my brain cells.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2025
    • Like Like x 1
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 1
  11. GatorWon

    GatorWon GC Hall of Fame

    2,180
    79
    273
    Apr 3, 2007
    It was the place to go to buy jean shorts.
     
    • Funny Funny x 3
    • Winner Winner x 1
    • Informative Informative x 1
  12. AgingGator

    AgingGator GC Hall of Fame

    4,107
    876
    2,088
    Apr 24, 2007
    I don’t remember if it was marked down or BOGO, but Wednesday night pitchers of Death at Chelsea’s was always good
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. cocodrilo

    cocodrilo GC Hall of Fame

    16,876
    1,001
    1,708
    Apr 8, 2007
    Wow. I remember, long ago, going to the two or three bookstores there. Walden Books is the name I remember.

    Do bookstores still exist, or do you have to buy from Jeff Bezos?
     
    • Like Like x 1
  14. scooterp

    scooterp GC Hall of Fame

    2,326
    1,303
    2,703
    Feb 15, 2012
    Yes. Though not as many. I have to read hardback. Doing a kindle or whatever electronic thing just feels strange to me. I do find myself buying a lot less books and just going to the library.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  15. cocodrilo

    cocodrilo GC Hall of Fame

    16,876
    1,001
    1,708
    Apr 8, 2007
    What are you going to do when Musk and Trump abolish libraries? Such wasteful spending, those places buy and stock books that no one wants to read.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  16. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

    10,910
    2,649
    3,288
    Dec 16, 2015
    I was in this mall just before last Christmas to do a little shopping.
    It was quite busy.
    First time I’d been back since 1999.
     
  17. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

    14,945
    14,513
    3,363
    Jun 14, 2007
    I used to hate malls.

    Now, I kinda miss em.

    Cest la vie.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  18. scooterp

    scooterp GC Hall of Fame

    2,326
    1,303
    2,703
    Feb 15, 2012
    Don’t know Coc. I guess I’ll figure it out. My outlook isn’t as depressing as yours.
     
  19. cocodrilo

    cocodrilo GC Hall of Fame

    16,876
    1,001
    1,708
    Apr 8, 2007
    I used to smoke Pall Malls. Do they still make those?
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  20. gatorpa

    gatorpa GC Hall of Fame

    12,105
    1,185
    698
    Sep 5, 2010
    East Coast of FL
    Our local mall in Daytona is a shadow of its former self.
    The push for more strip malls, and “shopping centers” has caused this for decades.