5 Details About Dadeland Mall
Dadeland Mall has been rocking the Miami mall scene since ’62 (yep, you read that right!). Nestled on Kendall Drive, the locally loved haunt is still a hotbed for shopping and eats as it’s anchored by Florida’s largest Macy’s, jcpenny, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom and boasts yummy restaurants such as Aoki, Balan’s, Bobby’s Burger Place, Earls Kitchen + Bar and Texas de Brazil. Also of note? A chic new wing with 102,000 square-feet of revamped retail space houses an enviable group of stores such as BOSS Hugo Boss, Free People, Express, Lush, Microsoft, Tesla, Vince Camuto and Urban Outfitters, among others. Here, loyal readers, are 5 fun facts about Dadeland Mall:
1. Once Upon a Time…Jordan Marsh was a Tenant
Dadeland Mall was originally built as open-air mall that opened in October 1, 1962. In 1969, the east mall was built and Jordan Marsh was added. At that time, they also fully enclosed the rest of the mall. No more raining on this parade!
2. Those Sculptures Tho
The mall originally included some concrete animal and geometric slide sculptures throughout the mall. In the renovation of 1987, these colored concrete animals and slides were donated to Miami-Dade County and can be seen in Dante Fascell Park in South Miami and at the Miami-Dade County children’s day care center play yard to the east of Jackson Memorial Hospital.
3. The Aqua “D” is a Mainstay
The giant, aqua “D” is local landmark that has been part of the mall since the very beginning.
4. Alec Baldwin and Chuck Norris Connections, Too
Dadeland Mall has been featured in a few feature films including the 1985 Chuck Norris film Invasion U.S.A, and the interiors and exteriors of the mall were featured in the 1990 Alec Baldwin film Miami Blues.
5. It’s Really, Really, Ridiculously Popular
Dadeland Mall has been visited by tourists from 42 different countries, including Germany, Holland, Israel, Japan, and the Middle East.
This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 9:03 PM.