Florida is a land of sun and fun to tourists, but Chattanooga’s homegrown mall operator sees the Sunshine State as a land ripe with business opportunities.

“I like Florida,” said Geoff Smith, vice president of development for CBL & Associates Properties Inc. “It has more than 20 million people — it takes lots of Southern states to get that.”

CBL, which went public in 1993, jump-started the Gunbarrel Road commercial behemoth with the opening two decades ago of Hamilton Place mall. The company manages, owns or has an interest in 159 properties in 26 states, including 86 regional malls and open-air centers.

In 2006 Florida had $179.1 billion in retail sales, compared to Tennessee’s $42.9 billion in sales, said Erin Hershkowitz, spokeswoman for the International Council of Shopping Centers, a trade organization for the shopping center industry.

“It’s just a smart move for them to go to a state with that much commerce going on,” Ms. Hershkowitz said. “Florida has a pretty fast-growing population, it’s got well-established and affluent neighborhoods, and is a tourist destination.”

About 10 years ago, CBL executives decided to start investing in the Sunshine State, Mr. Smith said. That trend has accelerated in the past few years. CBL owns 4.2 million square feet of retail space in Florida, he said, and is developing 1.04 million square feet. That rivals Hamilton Place mall, which has more than 1.1 million square feet in the main mall building, said Katie Reinsmidt, director of investor relations.

Florida accounts for 5 percent of CBL’s portfolio, Mrs. Reinsmidt said.

The Pavilion at Port Orange is a regional shopping center that CBL is developing in Daytona Beach with The Benchmark Group. The 525,000-square-foot center, with a scheduled opening in fall 2009, will feature Belk and Barnes & Noble, among other anchors.

Phase 3 of Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers is another project under development. The lifestyle center is CBL’s largest project in Florida and will be 1.7 million square feet large once it’s completed, Mr. Smith said. A Ron Jon Surf Shop is one of 15 anchor tenants. The center has an outdoor concert stage and an ocean-theme play area for children. Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn by Marriott are building hotels there.

The lifestyle center is basically a regional mall, although it’s not enclosed, Mr. Smith said.

“It’s a unique project for us and for the industry,” he said. “It’s a hybrid lifestyle center.”

The center in effect serves as a student center for nearby Florida Gulf Coast University, Mr. Smith said. Students are encouraged to gather at the site’s central area, University Plaza, and use the mall’s free wi-fi access while enjoying the decorative fountain and park benches.

Florida is a natural location for outdoor centers like CBL’s developments, Ms. Hershkowitz said. Floridians and tourists love outdoor amenities at shopping centers, she said.

CBL has been capitalizing on its Floridian expertise to bill itself as a development broker there, Mr. Smith said. While the state’s wealth, high population and tourism industry make it ideal for the retail industry, government regulations make it one of the two hardest states to develop projects, he said. The other difficult area is California.

State regulations specify that commercial projects above 400,000 square feet be vetted through local, regional and state planning commissions, Mr. Smith said. In Tennessee, developments only must receive approval from one planning commission.

Florida’s local planning process isn’t limited to only the municipality where the project would be located, Mr. Smith said. Instead, surrounding cities can have a say in the project as well. He compared the situation to Red Bank and Cleveland, Tenn., having input on a Chattanooga project.

“It takes longer,” he said. “A lot of people try and get battered.”

So, nearly a year ago, CBL opened a development office at its Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach. Chattanooga native Bob Elliott is one of two staff working full time to find leads and capitalize on them, Mr. Smith said.

“It enables him to see and hear things he otherwise wouldn’t run across,” Mr. Smith said. “He’s developed a lot of leads.”

CBL expands in florida

Existing properties

* Volusia Mall, Daytona Beach

* Gulf Coast Town Center (first two phases), Fort Myers

* Panama City Mall

* The Shoppes at Panama City Mall

* Lakeshore Mall, Sebring

* Cobblestone Village at Palm Coast

Under development

* Hammock Landing, West Melbourne

* The Pavilion at Port Orange

* Phase Three of Gulf Coast Town Center

Source: CBL & Associates Properties Inc.