When is the last day at WestShore Plaza? Since July, that has been the obvious question for anyone who lives a few blocks from the corner of Westshore and Kennedy. As of early November, nobody has answered it. The new owner's own paperwork suggests the answer may never be a single date.
In September, a Tampa Bay Times column about the mall put it plainly: "We don't yet know its last day." The redevelopment plan filed a month earlier shows why that question is hard to answer. It would divide the property into blocks that can be advanced separately, with the mall demolished in part or entirely as redevelopment reaches each area. For Beach Park, the mall next door may wind down over a stretch of time rather than shut its doors all at once. A little farther up Westshore Boulevard, International Plaza has been adding tenants under its own redevelopment plan.
The Sale Came With a Plan Already Approved
In July 2026, Third Lake bought WestShore Plaza for $135 million, according to the Tampa Bay Times, and said it would demolish and redevelop the property. The seller was Washington Prime Group, and the purchase included the development rights and approvals already attached to the site.
Those approvals came first. The Times reported in late August that the basis for the redevelopment is the mixed-use plan approved in 2024, which calls for retail, restaurants, offices, apartments, medical offices and recreation. Third Lake said it would not make significant changes to that plan.
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reported on the scale of that plan for the 53-acre site:
- Up to 1,765 residences
- A 240-room hotel
- About 900,000 square feet of retail
- About 500,000 square feet of office and medical space
Third Lake Development is working on the project with St. Petersburg-based Echelon, the developer behind Carillon Park and Echelon City Center in St. Petersburg.
Fourteen Blocks Instead of One Closing Date
The filing that matters most for neighbors is a rezoning request. It doesn't add square footage or units. Instead, it changes the zoning from Planned Development to Planned Development Alternative and divides the property into 14 development blocks connected by a new network of internal streets. According to the same report, that structure lets the company move individual sections forward on their own. The existing mall "could be demolished in part or entirely as redevelopment reaches those areas."
The request is a proposal, and it doesn't set an order of work. Each phase still needs its own city review before work begins, and no timetable has been set for demolition or construction. When the sale was first reported, the Times noted that no demolition permit had been filed and that the mall's final closing date was unknown. Bay News 9 reported the same week that tenants had no known date to vacate.
Some businesses inside said they hoped to remain in the project. Urban Native Store told Bay News 9 it was still open at its WestShore location and wanted to be part of the redevelopment.
What Is Still Posting Hours on the Mall's Own Pages
Walking into WestShore Plaza right now means walking into a building that is only partly in use. The Times columnist visited on a Tuesday in August and wrote that "a majority of stores were shuttered," and that she was "one of a few dozen people" in the building.
The anchors are another matter. The mall's own store pages still list these tenants with regular hours:
- JCPenney, with regular store hours
- AMC WestShore 14, with a link to showtimes and tickets
- Maggiano's Little Italy, with restaurant hours and reservations
The mall directory also lists Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, Curry Leaves Indian Cuisine and International CuttZ Barbershop. Since the building is clearing out unevenly, check a specific store before making a trip for it.
International Plaza Is Adding Tenants Under Its Own Plan
A few minutes north at 2223 N. Westshore Blvd., International Plaza is changing in a different way. In February, its owner Simon announced an investment program of more than $250 million covering three centers: International Plaza, Cherry Creek Shopping Center in Denver and The Mall at Green Hills in Nashville. The Tampa portion includes a 50,000-square-foot open-air expansion, a reimagined dining and gathering area at Bay Street, and refreshed interiors, with construction planned to start in 2026.
New tenants have been arriving in the meantime. By mid-July, Business Observer had reported a list of additions and moves. Here is where the names stand on the mall's own homepage:
| Store | Status |
|---|---|
| Britto | Grand opening held July 11 |
| Rowan | Open by mid-July |
| Bissinger's | Open by mid-July |
| Vuori | Listed as "Now Open" |
| Kay Jewelers | Relocated to a second-floor space |
| Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant | Expected in summer 2026, still listed as "Coming Soon," in the former Alma space on Bay Street |
| Pottery Barn | Listed as "Coming Soon" |
| Kendra Scott | Listed as "Headed Your Way" |
| Pottery Barn Kids | Listed as "Headed Your Way" |
The same July report said Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Coin and Edikted were planned for summer 2026, and that lululemon and David Yurman planned to expand their stores in the fall. Ceviche's summer target has passed, and the restaurant is still listed as coming soon heading into the holidays.
Neither redevelopment comes with a construction calendar a shopper can plan a December around. That puts the focus for the season on store hours and Santa dates.
Holiday Dates at Both Ends of Westshore Boulevard
For the next eight weeks, the practical question is simpler. Both malls have Santa on the calendar.
At WestShore Plaza, Santa photos are advertised from November 25 through December 24, and walk-ups are welcome, according to Fun 4 Tampa Bay Kids. Check hours and prices with the mall before you go.
At International Plaza, the Santa Photo Experience runs November 9 through December 24. A Caring Santa visit is scheduled for December 6, and pet photos with Santa are on December 13. The mall's holiday hours are:
- Thanksgiving, November 26: closed
- Black Friday, November 27: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, November 28: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sundays, November 29 and December 6, 13, 20 and 27: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Christmas Day: closed
- New Year's Eve and New Year's Day: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
WestShore Plaza's own events page doesn't list holiday programming. If you're planning a December visit to a particular store, the theater or Maggiano's, its listing on the mall's store pages is the best place to check, since those pages carry each tenant's posted hours.
Under the rezoning request, each of the 14 blocks would go through its own city review before any work begins on it. For now, the corner of Westshore and Kennedy still has a department store, a 14-screen theater and an Italian restaurant posting regular hours.
If you own a home near the WestShore Plaza site and want to understand how a redevelopment this large could figure into your plans over the next few years, The Lewkowicz Group is glad to walk through it with you. We follow every filing on this property, block by block. Let's Connect.
