Sarku Japan has been serving at the Boynton Beach Mall since 1992. Kevin Ng has run it since 2020, carrying on the business his father took over in 2006. This month he got a letter. "It just said, unfortunately, your lease will be terminated Jan. 15; we just have to pack up and go," Ng told WPTV. He wasn't surprised. "It wasn't shocking for sure, but I knew this day was going to come."
That notice went to tenants across the mall at 801 N. Congress Ave. Three names on the property got a different answer, and two of them sit on their own parcels, right where the buyer's early plan places its new homes.
What the January 15 Date Actually Covers
The mall opened in 1985. Its owner, Washington Prime Group, told the Sun Sentinel that the center is expected to operate through Jan. 15 and that "lease termination notices have been issued in anticipation of the prospective redevelopment of the center."
The same spokesperson said three operators may continue past that date.
| Name on the property | What WPG said about after Jan. 15 | Ownership background |
|---|---|---|
| Cinemark Boynton Beach 14 and XD | May continue operating | Separate parcel, per The Real Deal in 2024 |
| Christ Fellowship Church | May continue operating | Separate parcel, per The Real Deal in 2024 |
| JCPenney | May continue operating | No public detail on its parcel |
| Inline shops and food court | Lease termination notices for Jan. 15 | Lease from WPG |
"May continue" is permission from the landlord. None of the three has publicly committed to staying. Still, the Jan. 15 date marks the end of the enclosed mall, and the theater, the church and the department store are a separate question.
Some tenants have already moved on. Michael Raad, who ran a jewelry store at the mall for 12 years, told the Sun Sentinel he has secured a new location in Lantana. "Twelve years is a lot of work," he said.
Why the Exceptions Line Up With the Plan
In September 2024, The Real Deal reported that Washington Prime bought the mall's Macy's building for $15 million. It also reported that Cinemark and Christ Fellowship own their own parcels. So the mall owner had been pulling the pieces it controls into one holding, while two operators on the site held their own ground.
Two years later, the buyer's first sketch fits that map. The Palm Beach Post reported on Oct. 22, 2026, that preliminary plans given to the city show 600 for-sale townhouses. Per those plans, the townhouses would sit between a church and a movie theater.
In those plans, the theater and church stay where they are, on the parcels they own, and the townhouses go between them. If the plans hold, the Cinemark and Christ Fellowship you drive past today become neighbors of a new residential community.
Lennar's Version, and the Ones That Came Before
Lennar confirmed to WPTV on Oct. 22 that it is set to become the buyer. It expects to complete the purchase in "early" 2027. A company spokesperson described the vision this way:
"Although planning is in the early stages and we look forward to stakeholder feedback, our vision is to take advantage of this unique opportunity with a mix of single-family attached housing opportunities, complemented by retail, commercial, open space and civic uses that will create a walkable, connected environment."
The sale has not closed. Two days earlier, on Oct. 20, WPTV reported that the City of Boynton Beach had not been notified of a finalized sale. Things moved fast that week, and there is still a long way to go before construction.
This property has a record of plans that never got built. CBS12 reported that city commissioners discussed redeveloping the mall back in 2019, and nothing major came of it. The Real Deal's September 2024 report said Washington Prime was marketing the site for sale with approved plans for a mixed-use project of at least 1,700 apartments. Its July 2026 roundup of South Florida mall redevelopments described the same apartment count as approvals Washington Prime was still seeking.
Going from at least 1,700 rental apartments to 600 for-sale townhouses is a big change in what's proposed, and Lennar's version is still a preliminary plan. Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin said in a statement to CBS12 that any redevelopment depends on the owner's plans and required approvals. He added that residents' input will matter throughout, and that concerns about density and overdevelopment remain key issues for the community.
The Congress Avenue corridor around the mall has already been changing. We covered the national-chain wave along Congress Avenue this summer and the condo-heavy pipeline in east Boynton. The mall site would add for-sale townhouses to that mix.
The Last Season Inside
The mall's directory still lists familiar names. Among the shops are Aéropostale Factory, Claire's, Foot Locker, Hot Topic, Lids, Spencer's Gifts, T-Mobile and Victoria's Secret. Dining listings include Asian Chao, Holy Pan, Sarku Japan, The Boba Tea Corner, Val's Kitchen and Yaadman Kitchen Jamaican Restaurant. JCPenney and Dillard's Clearance are also listed.
A listing doesn't guarantee an open door. CBS12 reported that many smaller local businesses at the mall have already closed. If a trip is built around one particular store, call first.
Mall hours posted for late October were 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Check the mall's hours page as the holidays get closer.
The final holiday tradition on the calendar is Photos & Visits with Santa. It runs from Friday, Dec. 4, through Christmas Eve. Walk-ups are welcome, and online booking includes free rescheduling up to 48 hours ahead. The mall is closed on Christmas Day. Hours for the opening weekend:
- Friday, Dec. 4: 2 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 5: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a break from 3 to 4 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 6: noon to 6 p.m., with a break from 3 to 3:30 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 7: 2 to 7 p.m.
If this is your family's last Santa photo at the mall, book early. Visits run about three weeks, Dec. 4 through Dec. 24, and the mall's posted operating date ends Jan. 15.
One Saturday, Both Ends of Town
Saturday, Dec. 5, is the one day this season when the old commercial center and the city's downtown both have something on. The city's 2026 Holiday Tree Lighting runs that evening from 4 to 10 p.m. at 120 E. Ocean Ave., with a Grinch & Whoville theme. This year the city is folding the holiday parade into the same night. Parade groups will do stage performances of up to 10 minutes instead of marching a separate route, and the night adds a food court, an expanded Grinch Playland, Santa and the Grinch, and a drone show.
A workable order for the day:
- Get to the mall by late morning for a Santa visit, since visits start at 11 a.m. and pause from 3 to 4 p.m.
- Leave time for a last lunch at whichever food court counter is still open.
- Head east on Boynton Beach Boulevard toward Ocean Avenue for the 4 p.m. start downtown.
- Stay downtown for the drone show and stage performances later in the evening.
If you own a home near Congress Avenue and want to know where it stands before Lennar's plans reach the city, Jason Litt can give you a clear read on today's numbers, with no obligation. Get a Free Home Valuation and have the facts ready before the hearings start.
