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Festival Bay Mall is an enclosed shopping mall located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, United States. Developed in phases between 1999 and 2002 as a property of the Belz Factory Outlets, it is now owned and managed by General Growth Properties of Chicago, Illinois.
The mall is 860,000 square feet (80,000 m²) in size, with Vans Skatepark, Steve & Barry's, Bass Pro Shops, National Book Warehouse and Shepler's Western Wear serving as anchor stores. In addition, a Ron Jon Surfpark is slated to open in 2008. Other amenities include a 20-screen Cinemark movie theater and a miniature golf course.
[edit] Delayed Mall Development
Due to high competition from the nearby Mall at Millenia located less than a mile away, the Festival Bay Mall has struggled to attract both shoppers and tenants since its opening in early 2000. The mall was designed to be a large regional mall but failed to successfully portray that image to local shoppers and visitors alike. It is rumored that the mall was no more than 50% occupied, clearly apparent with the many vacant storefronts disguised by colorful paper walls depicting various images. During recent years, key anchors and retail tenants such as Ron Jon Surf Shop, Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, Vans Skate Park, and Cinemark Theatres have helped boost mall attendance. The Ron Jon Surf Park scheduled to open in 2008 (after being planned since beginning) is expected to further increase mall attendance and could perhaps push the mall into a new era of success. However, the Mall at Millenia and The Florida Mall will most likely remain the top most successful malls in Orlando.
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