(originally posted 6/3/09) Thank you to Bob Hynes, owner of the Mall Barber Shop, for letting me take a photo of the original photo that he had on display in his shop which is still located in the north end of the old mall and on the far left side of this photo. I've been going to the Mall Barber Shop since 1970 and Bob has been my barber and friend since 1974 or 1975. A recent photo of Bob in his shop is at http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/113313913 .
Hollywood Mall opened in October 1964 and was the first enclosed air-conditioned mall with a department store in South Florida. Dadeland was enclosed and air-conditioned years later, 163rd Street Shopping Center was enclosed in the 1980's, and Northside Shopping Center was open air until it closed and still open air when some of it re-opened without the big Sears. Hollywood Mall had a large Sears with a cafeteria/restaurant (on the left side in this photo), a Woolworths and numerous other stores. The planter area on the left disappeared in a remake of the mall after this photo was taken and a large food court on the east side was built in the late 1970's/early 1980's. You can see the "Allstate Insurance" counter on the left side before the Sears restaurant entrance. There was also a good deli on the left side between the Sears restaurant and the Mall Barber Shop.
Most of the Hollywood Mall was closed in the 1990's as I recall (correct me if I'm wrong) and converted into office spaces and a large Target was built where Sears used to be. The closest Sears are now at Aventura Mall and further west at Pembroke Lakes Mall. It is ironic that Hollywood lost both the Hollywood Mall, and the newer nearby Hollywood Fashion Center that was built in the early 1970's, and no longer has a mall for area residents.
Update 11/1/09: the Mall Barber Shop is no more due to failure in lease negotiations. Bob Hynes and Dave relocated to TODAY's MAN at 4747 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of the famous Rickey's on the north side of the road and west of Presidential Circle. Bob Hynes retired after the move to TODAY'S MAN. 40-something years at the mall has come to an end. :(