The posted hours at the Mall at Wellington Green are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Those are shopping hours. Most of what opened at the mall in 2026 is built for later in the day, with a comedy stage, a live-music pub and an arcade with a full bar. In a corner of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Boulevard that most of us visit for errands, the main reason to go is moving into the evening.
The shift comes from space that stood empty. Each new venue fills a gap that department stores and big-box retail left behind, and the timeline matters as the winter season starts.
Why the mall is changing
The Mall at Wellington Green opened in 2001 at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd. It was one of the last major enclosed malls built in South Florida, and it opened with five anchor stores and 150 smaller tenants. Starwood Capital Group bought most of the property in 2014 for $341.1 million. As of an April 2026 Town-Crier report, it was estimated to be worth about $70 million. The paper tied that drop to the national shift from enclosed malls toward e-commerce and outdoor, walkable shopping.
That same report said the mall still draws steady traffic and has kept most of its core tenants. It also said Spinoso Real Estate Group, the current operator, plans to put more into the property's exterior and to bring in more lifestyle-focused tenants.
The southeast corner: Palm Beach Improv and Copper Blues
Anyone in Palm Beach County who followed stand-up comedy noticed when Palm Beach Improv left CityPlace in West Palm Beach. The club had been there for two decades and had to move in 2023, when the Related Cos. chose to build offices on its site. Stet News reported that the club planned to open at Wellington Green on Sept. 4, 2026, with Nate Jackson's Big Dog Comedy Tour that weekend. More than 40 shows were planned between then and New Year's Eve. Its events calendar now lists November shows.
The club and its sister restaurant, Copper Blues Rock Pub & Kitchen, sit in the southeast corner of the mall between CMX Cinemas and Macy's. Together they fill 13,800 square feet of space that had been empty, and the comedy club uses about 11,000 square feet of it. The room seats 450 at booths and high- and low-top tables. Owner and operator Chris Carbo told Stet News the décor is "modern cozy," with photos of Wellington and Palm Beach on the walls, including polo horses, the Flagler Bridge and The Breakers.
Copper Blues scheduled its public grand opening for Oct. 16 and 17. According to the Town-Crier, it serves as the Improv's official bar and restaurant and also welcomes diners who aren't going to a show. It holds up to 275 guests, including bar and outdoor seating. The menu is American pub food, with dishes like Copper Nachos and Steak Frites and cocktails called Strawberry Fields and Champagne Supernova. There are happy hour specials, and brunch is planned. Carbo told Stet News that Copper Blues is family-friendly during the day and turns into a "nighttime club" after sunset, with live music on the patio.
The mall's general manager, Asad Sadiq, described the pairing this way to the Town-Crier:
"We're focused on creating more reasons for guests to visit, stay longer and enjoy experiences that extend well beyond traditional shopping."
The phrase "stay longer" sums up what is happening here. Dinner, a show and a drink afterward now happen in one corner of the building, next to the cinema that was already there.
Downstairs: an arcade with a kitchen and bar
Arcade Time was already in the mall, on the second floor. In June it moved to a 13,000-square-foot space on the first level next to the food court, with an official opening set for Saturday, June 27. The Town-Crier reported that the new space adds billiards, retro games, a full-service kitchen and a bar. Arcade Time had been named the top arcade in the country in the 41st Bowling Center Architecture and Design Awards.
The concept is meant to work at different times of day. Owner Jonathan Demare's team describes it as a place for families during the day and a social night out for adults later, with gaming, food and drinks. So the second evening venue in the mall is an existing tenant that grew and added a bar.
Something sweet on the first floor
Not every new arrival is about nightlife. Silk & Sugga, a cookie bakery, opened over the summer on the first floor near JCPenney, between Sunglass Hut and Scoops & Beyond. It is the brand's first location. Co-founder Charrisse Clark-Smith moved to Palm Beach County in 2012 and owns the business with her father, Sherwood Clark Sr. The Town-Crier lists the top sellers as Banana Pudding, S'mores and Cookies & Cream, plus seasonal Peach Cobbler and Caramel Apple Pie. Read the full Town-Crier profile for more on how the bakery got its start.
Across the parking lot: the old Circuit City box
The trend reaches past the mall's walls. In front of the mall, at the Shoppes at Wellington Green, the former Circuit City store at 10570 W. Forest Hill Blvd. has been mostly empty since Circuit City closed all its stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2008. Several proposals for the building were submitted over the years, and none moved forward.
The new tenant is Diadem Pickleball Complex, which also has a location in Coconut Creek. The Town-Crier reported in September that the plans include:
- 11 air-conditioned indoor pickleball courts
- Two pickleball simulators and two golf simulators
- A pro shop and a private party area
- A restaurant and bar
General manager Gene DeVito told the paper that Wellington stood out because it has an established pickleball community but few indoor places to play. The building already had the high ceilings and air conditioning the company wanted. The company is aiming for a soft opening in December and a full launch in January. The plans include programs for every skill level, from first-timers to experienced players. Wellington Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings told the Town-Crier that filling a storefront that has been empty for many years is a benefit.
That means another restaurant and bar is planned within walking distance of the mall, this time paired with sports instead of comedy.
The anchor still in the planning stage
The largest empty space is the former Nordstrom, one of the mall's original anchors. It closed in 2019 and has mostly been used for storage and seasonal pop-up stores since then. A 2019 plan to turn it into a large outdoor entertainment area never moved forward.
On March 31, 2026, Wellington-based Bainbridge Companies applied to replace the store with 620 apartments. The plan calls for three seven-story buildings, a new parking garage and up to 1.5 acres of private recreation space on just over 18.4 acres. As of the April 2026 Town-Crier report, the proposal was in village staff review and no public meetings had been scheduled. It would need a master plan amendment and review by Wellington's advisory boards and the Village Council before any construction could begin.
Stillings explained the village's thinking to the paper: "The future residents are likely future shoppers, restaurant and business patrons for the mall and surrounding businesses."
Fitting it around the season
The new venues open just as Wellington's winter calendar fills up, and many of those weekends start at the show grounds and polo fields. A few dates to plan around:
- Nov. 18, 2026: The National Polo Center puts season, box-seat, tailgate, general admission and Sunday brunch tickets on sale.
- Dec. 27, 2026: Sunday spectator polo starts and runs through May 2, 2027.
- Jan. 6 to 10, 2027: The Winter Equestrian Festival holds Premiere Week at Wellington International, followed by Week 1 from Jan. 13 to 17. Daytime general admission is free Wednesday through Sunday, according to the WEF schedule.
- April 24 to May 2, 2027: The National Polo Center hosts the II FIP Women's World Polo Championship for the first time.
When house guests come for a WEF weekend, the afternoon can be at the show grounds and the evening at the Improv, with no drive back east.
If you are trying to understand how the changes along State Road 7 and Forest Hill Boulevard fit into the Wellington you know, or the one you are thinking of moving to, I am happy to go over it with you. Jessica Julian can share what is opening, what is still in review, and how it all fits into day-to-day life in the village. Let's Connect.
