Gateway Town Center

Gateway Town Center, commonly known as Gateway Mall or simply Gateway, is a neighborhood shopping center in the Brentwood area of Jacksonville, Florida. The center is located near Interstate 95, at the junction of Golfair Boulevard and Norwood Avenue, with access associated with exits 355 and 356. Its retail format combines an original open-air strip-center component with an enclosed mall section added during a major expansion in the 1960s. The center was developed in the 1950s, when its tenant mix reflected the department-store and supermarket structure common to American suburban retail. The original strip-center lineup included Food Fair, G. C. Murphy, J. C. Penney, Winn-Dixie, and W. T. Grant, with the latter later associated with May-Cohen's. In 1967, Gateway expanded to include an enclosed mall. The expansion brought a new J. C. Penney building, Montgomery Ward, and additional inline retail and food-service tenants. Among the businesses associated with the enclosed section were Foot Locker, Orange Julius, Morrison's Cafeteria, and Strawberry Fields. Montgomery Ward was later replaced or rebranded through the presence of Zayre. Gateway's later history has been shaped by anchor turnover and reuse of former department-store and supermarket premises. Publix announced in October 2019 that it would close its Gateway store. The store closed on December 28, 2019, and Winn-Dixie was approved to occupy the former Publix space. Winn-Dixie reopened in that location on February 12, 2020, restoring a full-service supermarket anchor to the center. The property continued to reposition vacant or underused anchor space in the 2020s. Roses opened in 2022 in the former J. C. Penney location on the plaza side. Burlington opened in 2023 in the former W. T. Grant building, while Five Below opened in the former Winn-Dixie building. In 2024, Dollar Tree was announced as a future occupant of the other half of that former Winn-Dix building. The reference material identifies Winn-Dixie, Burlington, and Roses as principal anchors and describes the center as having approximately 34 stores. Gateway Town Center's current identity is therefore that of a community-oriented Jacksonville retail destination rather than a national shopping-mall chain. Its tenant history illustrates the transition from traditional department-store anchoring toward value-oriented apparel, discount, variety, and grocery retail. The center's indoor/outdoor configuration, long operating history, and proximity to Interstate 95 continue to support its role as a local commercial center. Ownership, management, founding parties, and current tenant-level operating details are not established in the supplied reference material.

Gateway Town Center developed in Jacksonville, Florida, during the 1950s as a strip shopping center serving the Brentwood neighborhood and nearby parts of the city. Its original tenant composition reflected the dominant American retail pattern of the period: a supermarket, variety stores, a department store, and other everyday shopping destinations. The early lineup included Food Fair, G. C. Murphy, J. C. Penney, Winn-Dixie, and W. T. Grant. W. T. Grant was later associated with May-Cohen's. A substantial expansion took place in 1967. The project added an enclosed mall section, a new J. C. Penney building, Montgomery Ward, and additional inline stores. Retail and food-service tenants associated with the expanded center included Foot Locker, Orange Julius, Morrison's Cafeteria, and Strawberry Fields. Montgomery Ward was later followed by Zayre, illustrating the succession of department-store operators that characterized many American shopping centers during the late twentieth century. In its later decades, Gateway experienced the anchor changes common to established neighborhood malls. Publix announced on October 28, 2019, that it would close its Gateway store. The supermarket closed on December 28 of that year. Winn-Dixie was approved to occupy the former Publix space and reopened there on February 12, 2020, preserving grocery service at the property. The center then pursued additional reuse of former anchor premises. Roses opened in 2022 in the former J. C. Penney location on the plaza side. In 2023, Burlington occupied the former W. T. Grant building, and Five Below opened in the former Winn-Dixie building. Dollar Tree was announced in 2024 for the remaining half of that former Winn-Dixie building. The available reference describes Gateway as having 34 stores and identifies Winn-Dixie, Burlington, and Roses as anchors. Gateway's history is best understood as an example of long-lived local retail infrastructure adapting to changing consumer patterns and tenant economics. It has retained a mixed indoor/outdoor physical identity while shifting from traditional department-store dependence toward grocery, discount, off-price, and value-oriented tenants. The supplied sources do not establish a founding individual, ownership structure, management company, or detailed chronology for every tenant change.

• 2024

  Dollar Tree announced

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Dollar Tree was announced for the remaining half of the former Winn-Dixie building.

• 2023

  Burlington and Five Below added

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Burlington opened in the former W. T. Grant building, while Five Below opened in a former Winn-Dixie building.

• 2022

  Roses opens

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Roses opened in the former J. C. Penney location on the plaza side.

• 2020

  Winn-Dixie returns as supermarket anchor

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Winn-Dixie reopened in the former Publix space on February 12, 2020.

• 2019

  Publix closure announced

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Publix announced the closure of its Gateway store, which ultimately shut on December 28, 2019.

• 1967

  Enclosed mall expansion

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  An enclosed mall section was added, bringing a new J. C. Penney building, Montgomery Ward, and additional inline retail and food-service tenants.

• 1950

  Initial strip-center development

  [1]Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org

  Gateway Town Center was developed in the 1950s as an open-air strip shopping center in Jacksonville's Brentwood neighborhood.

A neighborhood-oriented indoor/outdoor shopping center offering grocery, discount, off-price, variety, apparel, and everyday retail services to Jacksonville's Brentwood area and nearby communities.

• Supermarket · 2020

  Winn-Dixie

  Winn-Dixie is a principal grocery anchor at Gateway Town Center. The chain was approved to occupy the former Publix space after Publix closed its store in December 2019, and Winn-Dixie reopened in the location in February 2020.

• Off-price department store · 2023

  Burlington

  Burlington opened at Gateway in 2023 in the former W. T. Grant building. Its presence represents the center's shift toward off-price apparel, home merchandise, and value-oriented department-store retail.

• Discount department store · 2022

  Roses

  Roses opened in 2022 in the former J. C. Penney location on the plaza side of Gateway Town Center, providing discount general merchandise and apparel retail.

• Value variety retailer · 2023

  Five Below

  Five Below opened at Gateway in 2023 in a former Winn-Dixie building, adding a value-oriented assortment of merchandise aimed primarily at younger shoppers and families.

• Dollar store · 2024

  Dollar Tree

  Dollar Tree was announced in 2024 for the remaining half of the former Winn-Dixie building. The available source identifies the planned location but does not confirm an opening date.

• 2023

  Value-retail tenant repositioningStrategy

  Background

  Gateway continued to repurpose former anchor and supermarket buildings as its long-established department-store tenant base changed.

  Action taken

  Burlington and Five Below opened in former major-tenant spaces.

  Aftermath

  The tenant mix became more concentrated in off-price, discount, and value-oriented retail.

  Source

• 2022

  Reuse of former department-store spaceStrategy

  Background

  The former J. C. Penney location represented a large legacy anchor space within the center.

  Action taken

  Roses opened in the former J. C. Penney location on the plaza side.

  Aftermath

  The space returned to retail use under a discount department-store format.

  Source

• 2019

  Replacement of Publix with Winn-DixieStrategy

  Background

  Publix announced that its Gateway store would close, creating a vacancy in a major grocery-anchor position.

  Action taken

  Winn-Dixie was approved for the former Publix premises and reopened there in February 2020.

  Aftermath

  The center retained a supermarket anchor and continued operating with grocery service in the former Publix space.

  Source

1. 1Gateway Town Centeren.wikipedia.org
2. 2Gateway Town Center official websitegatewaytownctr.com