The Mall at University Town Center, Sarasota

The Mall at University Town Center

140 University Town Center Dr, Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 552-7000

An upscale regional development on the gulf coast of Florida,

The Mall at University Town Center is something unusual.

Not because it is upscale nor because it is in central Florida,

Because there are many like it in the area…

But because it is a brand-new fully enclosed shopping mall.

It seems like most enclosed malls in America were “born”

In about a 30-year stretch between the late 1960’s and the late 1990’s,

With a few arriving in the early 2000’s.

After that, the open-air lifestyle centers and “town centers”

began to rise up into front and center of the retail world.

Furthermore, dead malls that fell from glory in the 1990’s and 2000’s

Have been bulldozed and replaced with mega-sized Wal-mart stores

Or hotels and offices.

Making its debut “fashionably late”, UTC is one of only a few to be built

New from the ground up since the early 2000’s.

(In other words not a development out of an upgrade on a previous establishment).

It was proposed all the way back in 2002, when more malls were still being built.

The groundbreaking wasn’t until 2008 and it was meant to open its doors in 2010.

Economic decline almost aborted it.

It was re-assessed and proposed again in 2012.

Finally, it opened its doors on October 16, 2014.

This 880,000 square foot, 2-story structure cost at least $315 million to build.

It sits immediately off of I-75 on unincorporated Sarasota County,

And is surrounded by several large plazas with stores such as Petco, Staples, Super Target and various furniture stores, small restaurants and a few car dealerships.

UTC is anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

It looks like Tampa’s International Plaza and it feels

like Orlando’s The Mall at Millenia.

Something unusual about it is that it doesn’t sport a standard food court area

like other malls do. Instead, it has a few small restaurants

situated as store fronts and a few free-standing “giant kiosk”

style cafes in the center areas. It also has some larger, more upscale dining such as

Seasons 52 and Cheesecake Factory, each with entrances into the mall

as well as facing outward into the parking lot nearest a mall entrance.

There is even a finer-dining restaurant inside Sak’s and a Starbucks within the Macy’s.

Eat while you shop, you say?

Sales tactic so the customers don’t get absorbed in a giant “foodie corner”,

or brilliant way to save space and money? Or could it be both?

UTC is designed to suit middle class and on up to a more affluent class of shopper.

It is a mix of stores like Journey’s, GNC (vitamins),

Charlotte Russe and Aerie, which were meant for the

average American shopper with places like J. Crew, Anthropologie, Free People

and Arhaus (fine home furnishings) which were meant for shoppers with more expendable income.

With a few stores like Tommy Bahama, it is also clearly targeted at the tourists who pass by on I-75 on the way to the various Tampa Bay Area beaches.   

At UTC, I encountered something I never saw before in a mall here in Florida

(Though I’m sure it exists somewhere else): a car store.

Yes, a shop in the mall with cars inside.

Normally you see cars parked in the main corridors between kiosks and lounge areas,

But at UTC a special new brand of eco-friendly electric car called Tesla

Has opened its own store front so there can be plenty of wall space

To explain what the whole Tesla experience is all about.

There is also a store called “Lovesac”, where sectional couches are sold

Piece-by-piece. You buy each perfect square cushion separately,

slong with perfect square base and backing parts.

Over all, it adds up to over $3000, but it forms a couch you can stack up

And break down and rearrange however you like.

It is something I dream of… someday.

After my husband has saved up and bought his new car,

Then saved up a second time for “the couch thingy.” *sigh*

Over all, our experience was excellent at this mall.

My husband doesn’t like to “troll” the malls for fun like I do,

So we went in with a mission: find my dad a hat.

It worked. I got to see everything as he marched at a good pace

Up and down both floors twice and we finally found a fedora

Big enough for my dad’s giant head.

(Just kidding dad, love you).

Since UTC is brand new, there is no decline yet.

Only store fronts that haven’t been occupied because they are still

Being built inside and have giant “coming soon” signs on the front.