This report provides demographic statistics for the region surrounding the Florida Mall. The mall was designed and constructed by the Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation, founded by Edward J. DeBartolo, Sr. (1909-1994) in 1944. Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. (b. 1946) joined his father's business and together they became known as the "kings of the shopping mall." By the late 1980s, the DeBartolo Corporation had constructed 51 shopping malls, including 21 in Florida. The Florida Mall, located on the corner of Sand Lake Road and Orange Blossom Trail, was designed to appeal to Central Florida's large tourist economy and opened in March of 1986. Originally, the mall sat on 250 acres, contained over 1.3 million square feet of shopping space, and featured over 160 stores.
Crawford, Selwyn. "Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. bristles at even the slightest….'" The Orlando Sentinel, June 15, 1986. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1986-06-15/business/0230120196_1_DeBartolo-shopping-malls-mall-in-south.