The mall was built in 1963[1][2] as Edgewater Plaza. Among its first tenants were Godchaux's, Gayfers, and J. J. Newberry. In the early 1970s, the mall was expanded with a new wing ending at Sears. The addition of this wing required the demolition of the Edgewater Gulf Hotel.[3] Sears opened in July 1972.[4] J. J. Newberry closed in 1979 and became JCPenney the same year.[5]McCrory Stores operated a dime store in the mall until 1996.[6]
A year later, the mall underwent a major expansion and renovation program that included the addition of McRae's (now Belk) as an anchor,[7] along with the expansion of the JCPenney and Sears stores. A second story was added to the Sears store,[4] while the JCPenney store was expanded into a space previously occupied by a Jitney Jungle supermarket.[5] The Gayfers chain was sold to Dillard's in 1998.[8]
The mall was damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Sears was the first store to reopen after the hurricane.[9] Dillard's, which suffered the most damage from the hurricane, was rebuilt and did not reopen until 2008.[10]
In June 2017, Sears announced that its store at the mall would close in September 2017, dropping the number of anchors from 4 to 3.[11] In November 2018, Premiere Cinemas opened in the former Sears location.[12]
