DeSoto Square Mall sold for $25.5 million

Bradenton's DeSoto Square Mall, which has been beset by industry headwinds and woes gripping aging enclosed malls throughout the Gulf Coast, has been sold to a Brooklyn-based investor for $25.5 million, records show.

DeSoto Owners LLC plans to begin $7 million worth of renovations to the property, which is anchored by department stores Sears and J.C. Penney, beginning next month.

New exterior LED lighting and parking enhancements are among the improvements slated for the mall, says general manager Don Burrow.