I had the chance to visit Countryside Mall recently, and I got to thinking about all of the changes it’s seen over the past 30 years. I’m a child of the “mall era”, and I’ve been visiting Countryside Mall since I was a baby, which was just a year after the mall was built in 1975. It was one of a kind at the time, with two levels of indoor stores. Maas Brothers was the first store to open, on the south side of the mall, in the current Macy’s location. (First it was Maas Brothers, then Burdines, and now it’s Macy’s). Robinson’s opened opposite Maas Brothers in 1976, and that spot has also been occupied by Maison Blanche and is now a Dillard’s. Sears and JC Pennys have always been in their current locations.

I remember when the mall featured tan and brown tiles, and the ice skating rink in the center (aptly named, Centre Ice) was THE place to be seen on a weekend. I remember when there wasn’t a food court, but there WAS a McDonald’s downstairs. I remember when we didn’t have a Ruby Tuesday’s, but instead, a BrewMaster’s Steakhouse. I also remember the mall being redecorated in the late 80’s - the brown and tan tiles were replaced with pink and blue, and cloud murals were painted on the ceilings.

Now, Westfield owns Countryside Mall, and despite attempting to turn it into a “Westfield Shopping Town”, the residents of Clearwarer still call it Countryside Mall. And it still remains my favorite mall in the Tampa Bay area.