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Orange Park Mall says teens under 18 will need an adult with them to enter the shopping center on Fridays and Saturdays. | Orange Park Mall, Facebook

Orange Park Mall restricts teens on Fridays and Saturdays

Published on October 15, 2025 at 4:08 pm
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Responding to repeated disruptions by teenagers, Orange Park Mall will prohibit anyone younger than 18 from visiting the mall without an adult on Fridays and Saturdays.

The new Youth Supervision Policy, created in concert with the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, will take effect Friday.

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Under the policy, anyone younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who is at least 21. Each guardian can be accompanied by no more than four minors.

Mall management says the policy is an effort to make the mall more welcoming to the community.

“This policy reflects priorities identified in collaboration with the Clay County community,” General Manager Randy Bowman said in a news release. “We are committed to providing an environment where families, neighbors and visitors feel welcome.”

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Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook, in the same release, said her department is “excited to work alongside the Orange Park Mall team to build a stronger community for families, residents, and businesses.”

Orange Park Mall disruptions

The youth policy follows several incidents that have brought sheriff’s deputies to the mall in recent years. Fights among teens are frequent, and some episodes have grown out of hand.

  • In 2022, deputies had to clear the site due to fights during a carnival at the mall.
    • Two years later, someone was shot in the arm outside the mall after deputies had to disperse large groups of teens.
      • On July 5 this year, deputies forced hundreds of kids to leave the mall after an unauthorized “pop-up party.”

        New mall owners

        The mall, at Blanding Boulevard and Wells Road, is one of only two classic indoor shopping centers left in the area. The other is The Avenues.

        Orange Park Mall changed ownership in August, the sixth acquisition by Second Horizon Capital of Boca Raton.

        Second Horizon also owns malls in Richmond, Virginia; Little Rock, Arkansas; Kingston, Massachusetts; Chicago Ridge, Illinois; and Layton, Utah.

        Mall management says the new teen policy at Orange Park is part of an attempt to redefine the mall’s place in the community as “an essential community hub.”

        The mall says it is enhancing common areas, investing in infrastructure and strengthening programming, including a Veteran’s Day event and Pumpkin Palooza, with pumpkin carving, food tastings and other events.

        The mall also lists improving safety as a goal.

        In the July 5 disturbance, the Sheriff’s Office said it learned earlier that week of a possible mass gathering.

        The department said at the time that it called in additional deputies as a precaution, presented a safety video to mall management and took to social media to discourage any pop-up party. Attempts to contact the person who appeared to be the organizer of the event were unsuccessful. 

        The Sheriff’s Office said deputies “walk a fine line of violating a person’s rights to be on private property while maintaining safety and security.” But once the July 5 crowd “became rambunctious,” mall management asked the Sheriff’s Office to intervene, it said. 

        One juvenile received a civil citation, and a number of people were detained until their parents picked them up.

        Enforcing the new policy

        The Sheriff’s Office says it has always had off-duty deputies at the mall, paid by management, although it is hiring additional off-duty deputies to work there.

        Mall security will handle any violations of the new youth policy, the Sheriff’s Office said.

        “If the policy is violated, there will be consequences set by mall officials and security,” the department said in response to questions from Jacksonville Today. “If someone breaks the law, they will be arrested.”

        Bowman, the mall’s general manger, said stores have just been informed of the new policy, and mall management continues to communicate with them as the new policy is implemented.

        Bowman called the age policy “a positive step” toward making the mall a family-friendly shopping destination where tenants can operate more effectively.

        It is not clear how unusual the new teen policy is. The Avenues mall did not respond to emails or telephone calls seeking information about its policies. The International Association of Shopping Centers also did not respond.

        Bowman referred patrons to the Orange Park Mall Code of Conduct for more information and details about the new policy.


        author image Reporter email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union before joining the staff of WJCT News 89.9.