What did Miami’s Omni mall look like in its heyday? These old pictures tell the story
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Looking back at old Miami
Photos and memories of the way South Florida used to look: its streets, stores, events and people.
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When the Omni International Mall opened in 1977, it changed the way we lived.
On breaks, downtown workers dashed in to make a quick purchase or have lunch at one of the restaurants or the food court.
Teenagers from Little Havana, Overtown and Miami Beach descended on the mall after school and on weekends to see the latest movie at the multiplex, hang out in the record store or take a spin on the carousel.
People who lived in Mid-Beach and South Beach now had a relatively close place to shop and eat with just a quick ride over one of the causeways.
Wealthy Venezuelans bought lots of big-ticket items during a boom in the Latin American economy.
Customers headed to the bakery to buy some cinnamon bread, browse through the bookstore, search for the latest sales.
The Omni, lording over Biscayne Boulevard between 14th and 15th streets, was modern, weather-proof, convenient and fun. It was anchored on one side by J.C. Penney and the other by Jordan Marsh, which became Burdines in the mall’s later years.
The mall opened in 1977 along with a hotel, also called the Omni International. Before the mall and hotel were built, the free-standing Jordan Marsh ruled the corner, diagonally across the street from the Sears tower, where Miami’s performing arts center now stands.
Drivers heading to the Omni had the convenience of a new parking garage. County buses stopped in front of the complex along Biscayne Boulevard, and later just across a side street at a new bus depot that was at the bottom of a raised Metromover station.
By the 1990s, the Omni was feeling its age and purpose. Newer suburban malls had opened. The department stores went out and other specialty stores left. By 2000, the Omni mall closed, although the hotel and the memories remain.
As we look back, it’s hard not have good feelings about the Omni International Mall in its prime. Here’s a look at the mall in pictures from the archives of the Miami Herald:
The beginning
The fun
The shopping
From the outside
The food
The end
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 12:46 PM.
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