Edison Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedAn enclosed super-regional shopping mall in Fort Myers, Florida, named for inventor Thomas Edison.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Edison Mall is an enclosed, super-regional shopping center in Fort Myers, Florida, situated near the intersection of U.S. Route 41 and Colonial Boulevard. The mall opened in stages during the 1960s and became one of the principal retail destinations serving Fort Myers and the surrounding Southwest Florida market. Its name recognizes Thomas Edison, who maintained a winter residence and laboratory in Fort Myers. The project originated with developer George Sanders, who identified an opportunity to consolidate and expand downtown department-store operations after Sears and JCPenney began considering moves to larger suburban premises. Sanders acquired a former strawberry field for the development at a time when the U.S. 41 corridor was still comparatively lightly developed. Sears opened its store on October 28, 1964, ahead of the enclosed mall. The first interior portion opened with Maas Brothers on October 8, 1965, and JCPenney followed on March 17, 1966. The original configuration was notable because it placed Sears and JCPenney, traditionally competing department-store chains, in the same shopping center. Edison Mall expanded repeatedly as Fort Myers grew. Its original anchors were enlarged during the 1970s, while a major 1979 expansion added Burdines and new mall corridors. A food court followed in 1981. A further 1985 expansion added Robinson's of Florida, whose location was subsequently converted to Maison Blanche and then to Dillard's. The mall's department-store mix continued to change through corporate acquisitions and rebrandings. Maas Brothers and Burdines were consolidated under the Burdines name in 1991; both locations later became Burdines-Macy's in 2004 and Macy's in 2005. Dillard's has continued to operate in the former Robinson's/Maison Blanche location. The property was renovated in the 2000s, including the addition of an outdoor lifestyle-center component and interior improvements. Another renovation, completed in part through a new wing opened in late 2017, connected existing corridors and reduced the walking distance between sections of the mall. The center includes a single-level enclosed mall with larger anchor buildings, generally arranged over two floors. Reference material describes approximately 133 stores, restaurants, services, and entertainment-oriented uses, together with its lifestyle-center section. Sears closed its Edison Mall store on February 2, 2020, ending a 55-year presence at the property. The former Sears building was subsequently used temporarily as a COVID-19 vaccination site operated by Lee County and the Florida Department of Health in early 2021. Plans have also been reported for converting portions of the former department-store space to apartments and retail uses. Edison Mall has experienced temporary closures caused by water breaks, including incidents in June 2022 and March 2024, but remains an operating retail center.
History
Edison Mall developed from the suburbanization of Fort Myers retail during the 1960s. Developer George Sanders conceived the project after learning that Sears and JCPenney were seeking larger locations away from downtown. The selected site was a former strawberry field at the northeast corner of U.S. Route 41 and Colonial Boulevard. At the time, the surrounding corridor had relatively little commercial development beyond a Publix supermarket and a drive-in theater. The project opened in stages. Sears began operating on October 28, 1964, before completion of the enclosed shopping center. Maas Brothers opened on October 8, 1965, with the first interior mall section, and JCPenney opened on March 17, 1966. This arrangement was historically distinctive because Sears and JCPenney, major retail competitors, were co-located in the same shopping center. Maas Brothers occupied a central position and its store included a Suncoast Restaurant and Fort Myers's first escalators. Early mall tenants also included Walgreens and Woolworth's. Expansion began before the end of the 1970s. Maas Brothers enlarged its premises in 1974, Sears doubled its store in 1977, and JCPenney added a second floor in 1979. The mall itself was renovated in 1977. A major 1979 expansion added Burdines, a Miami-based department store, as a fourth anchor. The project added corridors linking Burdines with JCPenney and Maas Brothers, while giving Maas Brothers an additional mall entrance. During construction, Sanders sold the property to Aster Properties. A food court was added near Sears in 1981. Another expansion took place in 1985, adding mall space and a fifth anchor for Robinson's of Florida, the Florida division of J.W. Robinson's. Robinson's Florida operation lasted only about two years before the stores were sold to Maison Blanche. The Edison Mall store officially adopted the Maison Blanche name in March 1988. In August 1991, Maison Blanche sold the location and several other Gulf Coast Florida stores to Dillard's, which remains an anchor at the center. The mall's other department-store identities also changed through corporate consolidation. In 1991, Maas Brothers and Burdines were brought together under the Burdines name. The former Maas Brothers building became the women's store, while the original Burdines building housed men's, children's, and home departments. Both sites were remodeled in 1994. In 2004, the stores adopted the Burdines-Macy's name, and in 2005 the Burdines identity was dropped in favor of Macy's. Simon Property Group announced a major renovation in 2005. The work added an outdoor lifestyle-center wing and refreshed the enclosed interior. In 2014, Washington Prime Group took over ownership of the mall. In 2015, Sears Holdings separated the Sears property from its operating retail business through a transaction involving Seritage Growth Properties. A new interior wing opened in late 2017 as part of a reported $4 million renovation, connecting two existing corridors and improving circulation. Sears closed on February 2, 2020, making Edison Mall the last Sears location in Southwest Florida to shut. The vacant space served a public-health function in early 2021 when Lee County and the Florida Department of Health used it as a temporary COVID-19 vaccination location. Seasonal and pop-up tenants have also occupied portions of former retail space. Subsequent redevelopment planning has considered apartments combined with retail uses in the former Sears building. The mall has experienced temporary operational interruptions from water breaks, including closures in June 2022 and March 2024, but continues to operate as a regional shopping destination.
- 2021
Former Sears space becomes temporary vaccination site
[1]Local government and public-health agencies used the former Sears building for COVID-19 vaccinations.
- 2020
Sears closes
[1]The Sears store closed on February 2 after 55 years of operation.
- 2017
New connecting wing opens
[1]A new wing opened as part of a renovation intended to connect existing corridors and improve internal circulation.
- 2014
Washington Prime Group takes over ownership
[1]Washington Prime Group assumed ownership of the shopping center.
- 2005
Burdines becomes Macy's
[1]The two Burdines-Macy's locations were fully converted to the Macy's nameplate.
- 1991
Dillard's assumes former Maison Blanche location
[1]Dillard's acquired the Edison Mall Maison Blanche location and continues to operate there.
- 1985
Fifth anchor added
[1]An expansion added Robinson's of Florida as a fifth department-store anchor.
- 1981
Food court opens
[1]A food court was added near the Sears store.
- 1979
Burdines becomes a fourth anchor
[1]A major expansion added Burdines and new corridors connecting the anchor stores.
- 1966
Original mall plan completed
[1]JCPenney opened on March 17, completing the mall's initial three-anchor configuration.
Products and positioning
A large regional enclosed shopping center serving Fort Myers and Southwest Florida, combining department-store anchors, specialty retail, dining, services, and an outdoor lifestyle-center component.
Anchor retail · 1965
Department-store retail
Edison Mall's principal anchor offering consists of large department stores, including Dillard's, JCPenney, and two Macy's locations. These stores provide broad assortments spanning apparel, accessories, beauty, home goods, children's merchandise, and seasonal products. The anchor lineup has changed repeatedly as department-store companies consolidated or rebranded their Florida operations.
In-line shopping · 1965
Specialty retail
The enclosed mall accommodates specialty stores across fashion, jewelry, beauty, accessories, gifts, services, and other consumer categories. Reference material identifies approximately 133 stores in the broader center, although the tenant roster changes over time.
Food and beverage · 1981
Dining and food-court services
Dining is integrated into the mall through restaurants, food-court uses, and other food-and-beverage tenants. The property added a dedicated food court near Sears in 1981 and has also included dining in its lifestyle-center component.
Open-air retail and dining · 2005
Lifestyle-center retail
A lifestyle-center wing was added during the 2000s renovation, extending the property beyond its original enclosed format with outdoor-oriented retail, dining, and service space.
Brand decisions
2020
Sears store closureStrategyBackground
The Sears anchor had operated at Edison Mall since the development's earliest period, but the store closed amid the contraction of Sears's retail network.
Action taken
Sears closed the Edison Mall location on February 2, 2020.
Aftermath
The former store was temporarily used as a public vaccination site, while plans were developed to combine apartments and retail uses in the building.
2017
Mall circulation renovationStrategyBackground
The property sought to improve connectivity between existing sections and reduce the distance between the two ends of the mall.
Action taken
A new wing was opened as part of a reported $4 million renovation.
Aftermath
The new wing connected two existing corridors and improved internal circulation.
Renovation cost. $4 million (2017)
2014
Ownership transferred to Washington Prime GroupM&ABackground
The mall changed ownership as Washington Prime Group took over the property.
Action taken
Washington Prime Group became the mall's owner.
Aftermath
The property continued operating as a regional shopping center and later underwent additional circulation and redevelopment work.
Sources2 sources
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