BOYNTON BEACH — Along Congress Avenue in Palm Beach County, the Boynton Beach Mall stands as a sprawling contradiction, especially in December.
To the casual observer driving past the shuttered Sears and the recently vacated Macy’s, the property appears to be a graveyard of 20th-century retail. Inside, however, a resilient collective of mom-and-pop tenants continues to operate, serving a loyal customer base that refuses to let the “dead mall” narrative dictate their shopping habits.
The mall has been officially or unofficially for sale for nearly a decade. In recent years, the departure of national anchors has fueled local rumors that the doors have already locked. But for the business owners inside, the reality is more nuanced — a mix of “rent concessions” from management and a deep, decades-long connection to the Boynton Beach community…