ParkSide mall hopes to turn inside out

A proposal to raze the mall would spread stores and restaurants around the perimeter with parking in the center.

PINELLAS PARK - ParkSide mall will be razed to make way for an open-air shopping center under a radical proposal submitted last week to city officials.

Developers also are planning to build apartments or townhouses on mall-owned land on the south side of 70th Avenue N.

Stores and restaurants will be spread around the perimeter of the mall property with parking toward the center. The design is reminiscent of the reworked Clearwater Mall.

The only unaffected portions at ParkSide will be the 16-screen movie theater on the south side of the mall and the Applebee's restaurant on Park Boulevard.

Much will change.

First, Dillard's department store will close, probably in January, said Bob Schmidt, whose Boulder Venture South LLC bought the mall in May for $12-million. Schmidt also had an option on the Dillard's and the JCPenney Outlet store, which will remain open for the time being, he said.

Since he purchased the mall, Schmidt also bought three parcels bordering the mall: the Amoco gas station on Park Boulevard, the Leverock's restaurant at U.S. 19 and 70th Avenue N, and a vacant, triangle-shaped property abutting the rear of Leverock's.

The Amoco is not listed as part of the final plan.

The purchase price of the Leverock's hinges on whether it leaves or takes one of the new storefronts, Schmidt said. If it does stay, he said the restaurant would have a new theme.

The fate of the ice skating rink also is unclear.

Schmidt declined to discuss which tenants might stay or what new businesses might move in.

The goal, he said, is to retain as many current tenants as possible.

The PSTA bus stop on the west side of the mall property will be replaced by a retention pond.

The bus stop, which serves as a connecting point for several routes, will be moved to 70th Avenue N. Tyrone Mall has a similar setup.

It is also unclear whether the proposed multifamily housing will be apartments, townhomes or condominiums. Schmidt said the land is undergoing tests to ensure that buildings can be erected there. The vacant property is currently used as drainage and for overflow parking.

When the makeover is complete, the mall property will increase from 63.6 to 66 acres. But the total retail space will drop from 690,000 to 523,000 square feet. Residential units will increase from zero to 124.

The entire project, including property purchases, is expected to cost between $65-million and $75-million. Construction could begin next year and be complete in 2005, Schmidt said.

But first, Pinellas Park must approve his plans. Eventually, the proposal that Schmidt submitted Wednesday will be reviewed by the city's Planning and Zoning Commission and ultimately by the City Council.

City officials are predisposed to like the idea.

"My guess is that it'll breathe new life into that site," said Tom Shevlin, assistant city manager. "We're really pleased about it because the mall, while doing fair, was not doing great. This concept will be more attractive .... This is going to be significant for the community."

The open plan will allow passersby to see what the mall has to offer, Shevlin said. The central parking means folks will be able to park close to the store of their choice. With new restaurants, people will have a convenient way to go to dinner and a movie or eat and go shopping, Shevlin said.

The lackluster performance of the mall has been a concern for years.

Pinellas Square Mall, 7200 U.S. 19, was built in 1977, about the same time as Tyrone Mall. The fanfare and slick looks disappeared by the 1990s as its prime location at the busy intersection of Park Boulevard and U.S. 19 N failed to draw crowds.

Most of the big chains pulled out and the lender, John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co., took over.

Hancock poured millions into internal renovations that brightened up a dark, rather gloomy interior. Mall managers coaxed Tampa Bay Skating into putting an ice rink in the middle of the mall and created a small food court. A 16-screen movie theater opened on the south side of the property.

Mom-and-pop stores became tenants, lured by breaks on rent. Many storefronts became offices: A place to pay cable TV bills or buy a train ticket.

The city temporarily located its library there while that building was being redone. The Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce currently has offices there but will leave next year when the city's faux train station is complete.

But except for changing the name from Pinellas Square to ParkSide, adding some signage and changing the entrances, Hancock never upgraded the monolithic, cubelike appearance.

Times also worked against the revival. Montgomery Ward went bankrupt and had to pull out. JCPenney changed its location from retail to a discount outlet.

Hancock gave up last year and put the property up for sale.

1977 - Pinellas Square Mall opens.

1996 - John Hancock Insurance Co. takes over from DeBartolo Realty Co. Hancock announces plans for multimillion dollar renovation.

1997 - Ice skating rink opens.

1998 - Pinellas Park council allows a 75-foot high sign to give drivers a chance to see the mall before they crest the Gandy-Park overpass at U.S. 19 N.

- Name changed to Pinellas ParkSide.

1999 - Library temporarily moves to mall.

2001 - Montgomery Ward closes.

- 16-screen cineplex opens.

2002 - Hancock puts mall on sale.

2003 - Boulder Venture buys mall.

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