The completion of a new and larger mall in the vicinity, in 1973, spelled trouble for CORTEZ PLAZA. A renovation in 1979-'80 failed to halt its decline. In 1987, the circa-1959 portions of the mall were bulldozed and replaced with a 289,000 square foot power center. The new & improved CORTEZ PLAZA was completed in late 1988.
Graphic from the Sarasota Herald Tribune