By: Amelia Espinales

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Across the Jacksonville area, traditional mall culture has changed. Empty storefronts, online shopping, and newer shopping destinations have raised questions about the future of enclosed malls. Luckily, to revive a classic way of shopping, local development plans show that the malls themselves may not be disappearing, they may just be evolving. 

One of the biggest examples is Jacksonville’s Regency Square Mall. Once one of Jacksonville’s major shopping destinations, the mall declined over several decades before its interior closed in 2025.Demolition of the former food court and east wing began this September 2026 as a part of plans to redevelop most pf the property into The Nexus at Regency. Plans for the site include new retail, restaurants, residential development and other commercial uses. 

Other malls are trying to adapt before that point. At the Avenues, Jacksonville City Council approved rezoning in 2025 that allows a four-story, 266-unit apartment on a portion of the mall property. The project would replace underused parking with housing while the mall remains open. 

Orange Park Mall is also getting a makeover. The current owner, Second Horizon Capital, has completed upgrades including new interior paint, LED lighting, and improvements to the food court. Plans also call for transforming the former Sears property into an open-air retail development. Plans presented to Clay County in August showed an even larger vision for the former Sears property, including new national retailers and five outparcels replacing portions of the existing parking area. 

The mall experience Jacksonville residents remember may be changing, but redevelopment at Regency, The Avenues and Orange Park Mall suggest these properties are not necessarily going away. They are being rebuilt around what people want from them now. 

By: Cliona Joy Piligan

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On Beach Boulevard, you can find a few Filipino-owned businesses that bring food, music, and community to Jacksonville. Maharlika Jax Bar and Grill is no different, with a history built upon cultural pride and family. 

​ In pre-colonial Tagalog society in the Philippines, the word Maharlika refers to the nobility class. According to Wen Castillo, the restaurant’s owner, his father, Edenn, chose this name to honor the Castillos’ Filipino heritage, showcase their cultural pride, and reinforce the restaurant’s identity. 

​ Maharlika’s location was originally an old furniture store near a travel agency business run by Edenn. After retiring before 2010, Edenn learned the furniture store was being sold and had an idea to turn it into a restaurant. It took almost three years to renovate the store and fully turn it into a restaurant. 

“That was my dad’s vision,” said Wen. “To have a restaurant from the beginning.” 

​ Though Edenn had a passion for business and selling Filipino goods, he still pushed his son to become a nurse. During college in the Philippines, Wen studied occupational therapy before transferring to nursing. He then worked as a dialysis nurse upon graduation and passed his board exams. 

“I wanted to be something else,” said Wen. “But knowing a Filipino family, your mom, your dad, you have to obey what they want you to do.” 

​ Though having an extensive history in nursing and the healthcare field, Wen continued to have a passion for cooking. In 2013, when Maharlika officially opened, Wen was already helping his aging father with most of the restaurant’s operations, including opening and closing shifts. 

At one point in his career as both a restaurant manager and a nurse, Wen decided to make the change and continue running Maharlika as his full-time job. He even added artwork he made and work by other Filipino artists to liven up the restaurant. 

Since its establishment 13 years ago, Wen has noticed that Maharlika has become a place to host karaoke and events for people of all cultures and races. In the beginning, when Edenn ran the restaurant, only Filipinos came in. As Maharlika became popular through word of mouth and social media like Facebook, diverse audiences came to enjoy the food and festivities the restaurant offered. 

​“Food-wise, it’s the same thing. We never changed anything,” said Wen. 

​Wen prefers to keep Maharlika’s menu of Filipino food like Adobo, Pinakbet, or Lechon free of fusion cuisine, meaning he doesn’t try to change or add new techniques or flavors from other cultures. 

“I just want it like how my grandparents make it. That’s how I do it,” said Wen. 

​ Right next to the main restaurant, Wen’s aunt, Ayumi, runs Maharlika Emporium, a sister restaurant that operates only during lunchtime. 

By: Patrick Hamlin

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The Grove operates currently as a semi-private club, which means that their amenities are open for public use with some select private member events. This allows the club to provide a diverse range of activities, including a driving range, an indoor tennis/pickleball facility, and a regulation disc golf course that operates on the former land of the Orange Park Country Club golf course. But the total revenue brought in by these amenities, along with the club’s steady membership, pales in comparison to the expected revenue brought in by weddings each year. 

“We’ve been booked for weddings here every weekend from September through November almost every year that I’ve worked here,” said Alyson Lee, director of membership at The Grove. 

Cost estimates for a wedding at The Grove traditionally range anywhere from $2,500 for basic facilities rentals to over $25,000 for fully catered, 100-person events. These numbers can add up quickly when every weekend is booked at least one day, providing a total fall wedding revenue range of $30,000 to over $900,000 for a twelve-week period from early September through November. 

And The Grove features plenty of space to help host a wedding. The “ancient oaks” behind the clubhouse have stood for over a hundred years and serve as the best spot to tie the knot. The interior of the clubhouse features multiple different rooms to hold reception dinners and the amenities around the property allow guests to be entertained throughout the day.  

For more information about weddings or events at The Grove, visit www.letsgrove.com