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Edison Mall renovation is a smart move

Edison Mall started a $4 million renovation project that includes changes to the concourse and will add a new cut-through in the center of the mall, near the Victoria’s Secret store.
This cut-through will connect one of the busiest areas of the mall to the corridor that leads to Dillard’s, which is a considerably less busy area.
“We are continuously looking for ways to enhance the shopping experience for our guests and this investment demonstrates our commitment to the community,” said Ruben Irizarry, general manager of Edison Mall, to Florida Weekly.
Edison Mall will share more details on new retailers once leases are signed, but I already consider this great news. This shortcut of sorts, in my view,  will definitely motivate people to circulate more. The mall really needed a major renovation to attract more people.
Ever since I first went to Edison Mall in 2009, I immediately liked it.
I’m from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and I bet some of you may think that I like Edison Mall because in Rio we don’t have good shopping malls. But that’s not true at all. We have amazing malls there, but there’s a charm about Edison Mall that I’m not sure people around here see.
I read the comments on this renovation news and I was appalled by people saying it wasn’t a mall they felt safe in. Maybe I’m just accustomed to Rio’s level of insecurity, but I’ve never felt unsafe at Edison Mall. Quite the opposite, really.
But there’s another aspect that I noticed: FGCU students don’t go to Edison Mall a lot.
Sure, Miromar Outlets and Coconut Point are closer, they both have more stores and options of entertainment, and are, overall, nicer to spend time in than Edison Mall.
But I have this mentality that it’s always good to change or vary where you go from time to time, otherwise it becomes repetitive.
When I was in Rio, I used to go to malls that were an hour away from home, not because I was bored or that malls closer were bad, but because you get a whole new experience on many levels.
For instance, the people there will exhibit different behaviors or shopping habits. The layout and design of the stores will be different, and those things force you to learn something new. And I think that’s healthy.
So, I hope with this renovation people all over SWFL and FGCU students will choose to give Edison Mall another chance.

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