For what it's worth, Regency Square is still alive and well in Jacksonville. For years it was the premiere shopping destination in town. It's been supplanted by newer, larger malls. Several dreaded "renovations" and "updates" later, it sadly looks nothing like this picture.
When I was growing up (late 80s) we called Regency the "ghetto mall". Its wild to see that it was actually nice at one point.
Sorry to disagree Michele. Its bland and ugly.
This blog makes me realize that in the 80s, an attempt to fix the 70s architecture completely ruined it! It would have been better for them to just leave those things be. After like 10 years they would be back in style! It always happens.
Michele said: "I prefer the new look of Regency." Blasphemy!! Sacrilage!! You dare say that HERE, of all places??!
Hehe, just kidding. But I really don't know how that could possibly be. :)
Hampton said: "This blog makes me realize that in the 80s, an attempt to fix the 70s architecture completely ruined it!"
Yes! Well-said! You've nailed it.
"It would have been better for them to just leave those things be. After like 10 years they would be back in style! It always happens."
LOL. Exactly! Nowadays, if some mall somewhere were to actually announce that it was going back to a whole '60s or '70s retro-vibe type of look again, I think it'd be the hottest shopping mall around. But they'll never figure that out. Much too abstract (and expensive, I guess).
I don't know what it looks like now, but all I know is that as a kid when they put the fountain in, I loved it. The change brought a lot more business to the mall.
I shopped at Regency Square the day it opened for the very first time. I was still in high school. At that time it was only from Belk to JC Penney. The area from Belk (then May Cohens) to Sears was added a few years later when the Sears store downtown (near where the Landing now sits) closed. I don't shop at Regency any more. It's been taken over by rude teenagers who run in packs! A pity, I think. It was a grand mall in its day but I really think its day is past.
today is my first time looking into this site and wow, when i saw that pic of the old regency in jacksonville, i was shocked. i could not believe that the mall looked that great at that time. now. . .i read some comments, and some of you said that the mall was fine the way it was when it was built, but some say, it looks great now. regency to me is a wierd mall. im not used to walking thourgh a department store and end up on the other side of the mall. but again. . its all good. but my take is that i am glad that the management has updated the mall as in remodeling it. it looks great and the food court itself is just the home run of the place! me personaly, waling into a place that is not updated or remodeled, i feel depressed. i feel like i am shopping in a mall some where in lakeland fl. thats a freaky mall. not that the style at the time was all good, but that, if you were to keep something around like that for a while, people are bound to find another place to shop. and its all because of the atmosphere of the place. the atmosphere tells alot about a building, a design. like for example, look at our buildings in downtown. . .look at the nice design they have on the new ones. now, i know they have been there for a long time, but as you can see they update the structer, either by lighting, (which by the way looks great like our bridges) the buildings up, or changing the windows, color ect ect.. now i agree with some of you's about the teens. i know. im 22 and it drives me crazy to see thugs, gangs(if theres any) or just to many teens in heards acting like they own the mall. i wish someone could change that, but mose likely it wont. why? because its all bout the money!i dont think management is going to change things bout teens haning out unless theres a threat to society in the mall. well thats all i have to say. again, its all good. peace and grace! jonathan
I grew up going to Regency Square and I still shop there! I remember it having a zoo inside and eating grilled cheese at the Woolworth's in the 70s. Great pic!
There was no food court in the original Regency Square Mall. For food you could go to Woolworths or Penneys, which had a restaurant. Also in the mall were Piccadilly Cafeteria, Orange Julius, and later Mr. Dunderbachs Deli. After Furchgotts closed they added a food court to that area of the mall.
For what it's worth, Regency Square is still alive and well in Jacksonville. For years it was the premiere shopping destination in town. It's been supplanted by newer, larger malls. Several dreaded "renovations" and "updates" later, it sadly looks nothing like this picture.
ReplyDeleteWow, that brought back memories of going to Regency with my mom as a kid. I had forgotten that it looked like that.
ReplyDeleteChris
I don't like what Regency has become. Too many thug-wannabee-kids. It's as bad as Orange Park with its rednecklings.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up (late 80s) we called Regency the "ghetto mall". Its wild to see that it was actually nice at one point.
ReplyDeleteSorry to disagree Michele. Its bland and ugly.
This blog makes me realize that in the 80s, an attempt to fix the 70s architecture completely ruined it! It would have been better for them to just leave those things be. After like 10 years they would be back in style! It always happens.
Michele said: "I prefer the new look of Regency." Blasphemy!! Sacrilage!! You dare say that HERE, of all places??!
ReplyDeleteHehe, just kidding. But I really don't know how that could possibly be. :)
Hampton said: "This blog makes me realize that in the 80s, an attempt to fix the 70s architecture completely ruined it!"
Yes! Well-said! You've nailed it.
"It would have been better for them to just leave those things be. After like 10 years they would be back in style! It always happens."
LOL. Exactly! Nowadays, if some mall somewhere were to actually announce that it was going back to a whole '60s or '70s retro-vibe type of look again, I think it'd be the hottest shopping mall around. But they'll never figure that out. Much too abstract (and expensive, I guess).
I don't know what it looks like now, but all I know is that as a kid when they put the fountain in, I loved it. The change brought a lot more business to the mall.
ReplyDeletePlease don't apologize for your opinion, Hampton.
I shopped at Regency Square the day it opened for the very first time. I was still in high school. At that time it was only from Belk to JC Penney. The area from Belk (then May Cohens) to Sears was added a few years later when the Sears store downtown (near where the Landing now sits) closed. I don't shop at Regency any more. It's been taken over by rude teenagers who run in packs! A pity, I think. It was a grand mall in its day but I really think its day is past.
ReplyDeletetoday is my first time looking into this site and wow, when i saw that pic of the old regency in jacksonville, i was shocked. i could not believe that the mall looked that great at that time. now. . .i read some comments, and some of you said that the mall was fine the way it was when it was built, but some say, it looks great now. regency to me is a wierd mall. im not used to walking thourgh a department store and end up on the other side of the mall. but again. . its all good. but my take is that i am glad that the management has updated the mall as in remodeling it. it looks great and the food court itself is just the home run of the place! me personaly, waling into a place that is not updated or remodeled, i feel depressed. i feel like i am shopping in a mall some where in lakeland fl. thats a freaky mall. not that the style at the time was all good, but that, if you were to keep something around like that for a while, people are bound to find another place to shop. and its all because of the atmosphere of the place. the atmosphere tells alot about a building, a design. like for example, look at our buildings in downtown. . .look at the nice design they have on the new ones. now, i know they have been there for a long time, but as you can see they update the structer, either by lighting, (which by the way looks great like our bridges) the buildings up, or changing the windows, color ect ect.. now i agree with some of you's about the teens. i know. im 22 and it drives me crazy to see thugs, gangs(if theres any) or just to many teens in heards acting like they own the mall. i wish someone could change that, but mose likely it wont. why? because its all bout the money!i dont think management is going to change things bout teens haning out unless theres a threat to society in the mall. well thats all i have to say. again, its all good. peace and grace!
ReplyDeletejonathan
I grew up going to Regency Square and I still shop there! I remember it having a zoo inside and eating grilled cheese at the Woolworth's in the 70s. Great pic!
ReplyDeletedoes anybody have a picture of the old food court? i have been searching and cannot find one! thanks!
ReplyDeleteThere was no food court in the original Regency Square Mall. For food you could go to Woolworths or Penneys, which had a restaurant. Also in the mall were Piccadilly Cafeteria, Orange Julius, and later Mr. Dunderbachs Deli. After Furchgotts closed they added a food court to that area of the mall.
ReplyDeleteThis mall was recently sold. What's to come of it is unknown at this time.
ReplyDelete