The mostly vacant Seminole Towne Center — once billed as a premier mall for well-heeled shoppers in Seminole County — will shutter most of its property by the end of the month, after years of struggling with closed stores and acres of empty parking lots.

What was once considered the premier mall of North Orlando will close its doors quietly at the end of January.

SANFORD, Fla. - The mall portion of the Seminole Towne Center in Sanford now has its closing date. Shop owners were told to leave by Jan. 31. It’s the latest chapter for the dying mall. The anchor stores will remain. For small business owner Douglas Filler, the closure means retirement.

THIS AFTERNOON WE HAVE NEW DETAILS ON THE FUTURE OF ONE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA’S ICONIC MALLS. MOST OF THE SEMINOLE TOWN CENTER WILL CLOSE AT THE END OF THE MONTH. WESH TWO NEWS WAS THE FIRST TO REPORT LAST YEAR THAT THE MALL WAS BEING SOLD.

FOX 35's Matt Trezza learns more about the Seminole Towne Center Mall closure and the new stores moving in. With Southern California ablaze, the lack of water leaves many wondering, why not use ocean water to combat fires?