As retail struggles to find the new normal, one mall remains strong despite the headwinds

On Sept. 11, 2001, as the nation dealt with one of the most difficult and shocking moments in its history, a mall was scheduled to open in Tampa. 

This was International Plaza. It would eventually become a destination, attracting both tourists and locals. But on that day, with the horrific news trickling in from Manhattan and Washington, D.C., and, not much later, a field in Pennsylvania, there was nothing to be happy about.

No. Sept. 11, 2001 was not a day for a grand opening.