Project Information
Description of Entry
At the heart of one of Florida’s most attractive multi-use developments, The Mall at University Town Center has provided a distinctive shopping experience, filling a retail void in the affluent, growing Sarasota-Manatee market.
Embracing Southwest Florida’s contemporary architectural style, the shopping center creates a resort-like environment in which to shop, dine, stroll and relax – a gathering place for the greater Sarasota community.
Over the last several decades, while booming with new year-round residents, commercial development and seasonal tourism, the center’s trade area did not experience a similar gain in retail offerings, especially in the categories of better apparel and fashion merchandise. The market’s only new regional mall built in 35 years, has addressed that opportunity with more than 100 stores and restaurants, 65 percent of which are unique to the market.
Back in 2006, when the developers were first finalizing plans for the mall, retailer and municipal support for an upscale center in Sarasota was strong. The ideal location for such a project was the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway, the focal point of the 276-acre master-planned community. However, the Great Recession, which began in 2007, brought a halt to major real estate development across the United States.
Patience and confidence in the extraordinary promise of the shopping center overcame this financial challenge. The beautiful, energy-efficient, technologically advanced new center opened on October 16, 2014, to rave reviews.
More than a successful new retail development, it's a powerful symbol of recovery for America’s real estate and retailing industries.
Shopping Center Information
Type of Project
Super-regional Center
Other
N/A
Physical Characteristics of Project
Mall
Other
N/A
Total Acreage of Site
73
Total Acreage of Site
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference: plus or (minus) | Number of Levels |
2 |
Other Uses: Office
Other Uses: Hotel
Other Uses: Residential
Other Uses: Residential
0
Other Uses
0
Other Uses
0
Trade Area/Cachement Area Information
Project Trade Area
Other
Population of Primary Trade Area | Population of Secondary Trade Area | Annualized percentage of shoppers anticipated being from outside of trade area (e.g., tourists, conventioneers) |
616102 | 1201184 | 40 |
Retail Information
Total Retail Space
440000
Total Acreage of Site
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference-Plus or (minus) |
Gross Leasable Area (small shop excluding anchors)
862000
Gross Leasable Area (small shop excluding anchors)
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference-Plus or (minus) | Total Number of Retail Stores (excluding anchors) |
124 |
Total Number of Retail Stores (including anchors)
127
Major Tenants
Dillard's - Department Store; 180,000 sf
Macy's - Department Store; 162,000 sf
Saks Fifth Avenue - Department Store; 80,000 sf
Parking Information
Number of Parking Spaces Provided
4112
Deck Parking
No
If deck parking, list vehicle capacity and number of levels of parking structure and briefly describe how structure connects to center.
How many parking space are required by code?
3573
Development Schedule
Original Project Opening Date
Official Project Opening Date
10/16/2014
Current renovation expansion opening date
Professional Recognition
Development Company
Taubman
Owner
Taubman and Benderson Development Company
Production or Executive Architect
JPRA Architects
Graphic Designer
Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative
Lighting Designer
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Landscape Architect
Grissim Netz Andriese Associates
General Contractor
dck worldwide
Management Company
Taubman
Finance Company
Wells Fargo
Summary
Entry Summary
Describe the characteristics of the project you are submitting for an award.
The Mall at University Town Center (UTC), opened in 2014, is an 862,000 square foot super regional shopping center located in Sarasota, Florida. The 73-acre center is at the heart of the 276-acre University Town Center master-planned development, which includes residential, commercial, hotel, recreational and retail components. Anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s, and the market’s only Saks Fifth Avenue, the two-level mall features a compelling mix of more than 100 merchants and restaurants, 65 percent of which are unique to the Sarasota-Manatee market. These point-of-difference tenants include Apple, Arhaus, The Capital Grille, The Cheesecake Factory, Crate & Barrel, kate spade new york, L’Occitane en Provence, lululemon athletica, Michael Kors, Microsoft, Pottery Barn, Tesla, and Williams-Sonoma.
Embracing Southwest Florida’s contemporary architectural style, UTC’s resort-like environment creates a gathering place for Sarasota’s residents and visitors.
In the interior, soaring, sunlight-filled spaces are elegantly detailed with natural building materials. Along the mall concourse, a distinctive curvilinear vaulted skylight system with light-filtering louvers reminiscent of palm tree fronds controls both light and heat. Comfortable indoor seating areas are located throughout the center. Free Wi-Fi provides shoppers and stores with high-speed Internet access, and the innovative UTC app turns customers’ smartphones into high-tech shopping companions. On the exterior, palm trees, hedges, wall vines and fountains surround the center. UTC’s exterior-facing restaurants provide outdoor dining patios with projecting canopies, fountains and dramatic lighting. Parking for approximately 4,100 cars is provided in well-lit landscaped fields that slope to meet mall and anchor entrances on upper and lower levels.
In what ways do you feel that other developers can benefit from your experience?
The Mall at University Town Center demonstrates the benefits of a strong partnership between an established local developer and a specialized retail real estate developer. By working together, Florida-based Benderson Development and national developer Taubman created a dominant shopping destination that meets the market’s retail needs and effectively connects with surrounding residential, commercial and recreational uses.
In addition, UTC’s success is evidence for developers and investors that when the location and opportunity are right, a new project can survive the ups and downs of a volatile economy. Plans for The Mall at University Town Center were being finalized way back in 2006. However, the Great Recession, which began in 2007, brought a halt to essentially all major real estate development in the United States. Patience and confidence in the extraordinary promise of UTC overcame the financial challenges. The new center opened on October 16, 2014, to enthusiastic retailer and public support. It was the only enclosed regional center to open in the United States that year.
Was this project a public-private partnership or joint effort with a governmental entity? If so, what is the name of that agency, and what was the nature of their involvement in the project?
No.
Describe the financing involved in the project.
The Mall at University Town Center, a $315 million development, was completed with $225 million in construction financing and equal equity contributions by the project’s 50/50 partners, Taubman and Benderson Development.
If you had this project to do over again, what would you do differently? Why?
In a perfect world, construction of the state’s first diverging diamond interchange serving
The Mall at University Center at I-75 and University Parkway would have been completed before the opening of the mall. While the construction of this important improvement, scheduled to be completed by September 2017, has created some inconvenience for customers, the extraordinary pent-up demand for better retail in the market supported the decision to move forward before completion of the improved interchange. But if we had it to do over again, we would have worked even harder with state officials to find a way to move up the construction timetable.
Renovations / Expansions
Explain why the owner decided to renovate or expand. Include a description of the existing conditions prior to renovation or expansion (physical conditions, sales, tenant mix, vacancy factor and the like)
Describe how the renovation or expansion altered those conditions.
What do you believe to be the key reasons for the success of the project? Why?
How did you determine the business success of the project? (Cite 'before' and 'after' statistics to back up the claim.)
If the center was kept open during construction, explain what measures were taken to ensure shopper safety and main shopper traffic, and what impact the work had on business.
In addition to the physical improvements, what ancillary measures were taken to enhance the center?
Describe any new marketing and/or re-leasing approaches successfully implemented during the period.
No
If yes, at what level?
Describe the project's central approach to sustainability such as energy and water use, the internal environment, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes.
The Mall at University Town Center’s smart-building design makes it one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable regional shopping centers ever built.
A high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure running throughout the center enables a number of smart building technologies to monitor and efficiently manage energy use. Energy-efficient mechanical systems, building automation systems, and extensive use of interior and exterior LED lighting help reduce the center’s impact on the environment while holding down operating costs.
Green building practices employed include the innovative use of high-performance skylight glazing to minimize heat and glare, a white roof to limit heat gain, and the incorporation of
low-emitting building materials such as paints, adhesives and flooring. The mall also established tenant guidelines encouraging green building methods in store build-outs.
Water conservation is achieved through the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures, circulating water systems in fountains, and the incorporation of native, water-efficient landscaping with drip irrigation. Bioswales are located throughout the parking fields to minimize irrigation and control storm runoff. Construction waste was minimized during development, and recycling stations are provided in the mall and service areas. In addition, guidelines for tenants encourage ongoing recycling of waste materials.
Traveling to the mall is made more efficient by the availability of electric car-charging stations, bike paths and racks and the center’s connection to the region’s public bus system.
Supporting Marterials
Documentation
Tenant Mix / Merchandising Plan
Maps / Floor Plan
Photo Gallery
Audio / Video
Project Information
Description of Entry
At the heart of one of Florida’s most attractive multi-use developments, The Mall at University Town Center has provided a distinctive shopping experience, filling a retail void in the affluent, growing Sarasota-Manatee market.
Embracing Southwest Florida’s contemporary architectural style, the shopping center creates a resort-like environment in which to shop, dine, stroll and relax – a gathering place for the greater Sarasota community.
Over the last several decades, while booming with new year-round residents, commercial development and seasonal tourism, the center’s trade area did not experience a similar gain in retail offerings, especially in the categories of better apparel and fashion merchandise. The market’s only new regional mall built in 35 years, has addressed that opportunity with more than 100 stores and restaurants, 65 percent of which are unique to the market.
Back in 2006, when the developers were first finalizing plans for the mall, retailer and municipal support for an upscale center in Sarasota was strong. The ideal location for such a project was the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway, the focal point of the 276-acre master-planned community. However, the Great Recession, which began in 2007, brought a halt to major real estate development across the United States.
Patience and confidence in the extraordinary promise of the shopping center overcame this financial challenge. The beautiful, energy-efficient, technologically advanced new center opened on October 16, 2014, to rave reviews.
More than a successful new retail development, it's a powerful symbol of recovery for America’s real estate and retailing industries.
Shopping Center Information
Type of Project
Super-regional Center
Other
N/A
Physical Characteristics of Project
Mall
Other
N/A
Total Acreage of Site
73
Total Acreage of Site
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference: plus or (minus) | Number of Levels |
2 |
Other Uses: Office
Other Uses: Hotel
Other Uses: Residential
Other Uses: Residential
0
Other Uses
0
Other Uses
0
Trade Area/Cachement Area Information
Project Trade Area
Other
Population of Primary Trade Area | Population of Secondary Trade Area | Annualized percentage of shoppers anticipated being from outside of trade area (e.g., tourists, conventioneers) |
616102 | 1201184 | 40 |
Retail Information
Total Retail Space
440000
Total Acreage of Site
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference-Plus or (minus) |
Gross Leasable Area (small shop excluding anchors)
862000
Gross Leasable Area (small shop excluding anchors)
Before Renovation / Expansion | After Renovation / Expansion | Net Difference-Plus or (minus) | Total Number of Retail Stores (excluding anchors) |
124 |
Total Number of Retail Stores (including anchors)
127
Major Tenants
Dillard's - Department Store; 180,000 sf
Macy's - Department Store; 162,000 sf
Saks Fifth Avenue - Department Store; 80,000 sf
Parking Information
Number of Parking Spaces Provided
4112
Deck Parking
No
If deck parking, list vehicle capacity and number of levels of parking structure and briefly describe how structure connects to center.
How many parking space are required by code?
3573
Development Schedule
Original Project Opening Date
Official Project Opening Date
10/16/2014
Professional Recognition
Development Company
Taubman
Owner
Taubman and Benderson Development Company
Production or Executive Architect
JPRA Architects
Graphic Designer
Selbert Perkins Design Collaborative
Lighting Designer
Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design
Landscape Architect
Grissim Netz Andriese Associates
General Contractor
dck worldwide
Management Company
Taubman
Finance Company
Wells Fargo
Summary
Entry Summary
Describe the characteristics of the project you are submitting for an award.
The Mall at University Town Center (UTC), opened in 2014, is an 862,000 square foot super regional shopping center located in Sarasota, Florida. The 73-acre center is at the heart of the 276-acre University Town Center master-planned development, which includes residential, commercial, hotel, recreational and retail components. Anchored by Macy’s, Dillard’s, and the market’s only Saks Fifth Avenue, the two-level mall features a compelling mix of more than 100 merchants and restaurants, 65 percent of which are unique to the Sarasota-Manatee market. These point-of-difference tenants include Apple, Arhaus, The Capital Grille, The Cheesecake Factory, Crate & Barrel, kate spade new york, L’Occitane en Provence, lululemon athletica, Michael Kors, Microsoft, Pottery Barn, Tesla, and Williams-Sonoma.
Embracing Southwest Florida’s contemporary architectural style, UTC’s resort-like environment creates a gathering place for Sarasota’s residents and visitors.
In the interior, soaring, sunlight-filled spaces are elegantly detailed with natural building materials. Along the mall concourse, a distinctive curvilinear vaulted skylight system with light-filtering louvers reminiscent of palm tree fronds controls both light and heat. Comfortable indoor seating areas are located throughout the center. Free Wi-Fi provides shoppers and stores with high-speed Internet access, and the innovative UTC app turns customers’ smartphones into high-tech shopping companions. On the exterior, palm trees, hedges, wall vines and fountains surround the center. UTC’s exterior-facing restaurants provide outdoor dining patios with projecting canopies, fountains and dramatic lighting. Parking for approximately 4,100 cars is provided in well-lit landscaped fields that slope to meet mall and anchor entrances on upper and lower levels.
In what ways do you feel that other developers can benefit from your experience?
The Mall at University Town Center demonstrates the benefits of a strong partnership between an established local developer and a specialized retail real estate developer. By working together, Florida-based Benderson Development and national developer Taubman created a dominant shopping destination that meets the market’s retail needs and effectively connects with surrounding residential, commercial and recreational uses.
In addition, UTC’s success is evidence for developers and investors that when the location and opportunity are right, a new project can survive the ups and downs of a volatile economy. Plans for The Mall at University Town Center were being finalized way back in 2006. However, the Great Recession, which began in 2007, brought a halt to essentially all major real estate development in the United States. Patience and confidence in the extraordinary promise of UTC overcame the financial challenges. The new center opened on October 16, 2014, to enthusiastic retailer and public support. It was the only enclosed regional center to open in the United States that year.
Was this project a public-private partnership or joint effort with a governmental entity? If so, what is the name of that agency, and what was the nature of their involvement in the project?
No.
Describe the financing involved in the project.
The Mall at University Town Center, a $315 million development, was completed with $225 million in construction financing and equal equity contributions by the project’s 50/50 partners, Taubman and Benderson Development.
If you had this project to do over again, what would you do differently? Why?
In a perfect world, construction of the state’s first diverging diamond interchange serving
The Mall at University Center at I-75 and University Parkway would have been completed before the opening of the mall. While the construction of this important improvement, scheduled to be completed by September 2017, has created some inconvenience for customers, the extraordinary pent-up demand for better retail in the market supported the decision to move forward before completion of the improved interchange. But if we had it to do over again, we would have worked even harder with state officials to find a way to move up the construction timetable.
New Developments
Explain what specific design and construction problems were solved or how new standards in the areas of design and construction were established.
One of the distinguishing features of Southwest Florida is the region’s abundance of sunshine. But the downside to this naturally occurring amenity is heat. So a major design challenge and opportunity for The Mall at University Town Center was to let as much of the sunlight in as possible, while keeping the interior comfortable without expending unsustainable amounts of energy.
This balance was accomplished by incorporating three technologies into the center’s concourse ceiling design: Low-emissivity (low-e) glazing used in the barrel vault ceiling; ceramic glaze “frit” is applied to the glass to reflect heat; and a system of louvers is mounted just below the windows to further reduce heat and glare.
The louvers, inspired by the shape of palm tree fronds and plantation shutters, also create interesting dappled light shadow patterns by day and reflect light from color programmable LED lamps at night. The skylight louvres are designed and laid out to respond to the center’s north-south orientation and the path of the sun. As a result, customers see blue sky in the morning and in the mid-afternoon, when the sun is hottest, the space is protected with the most shielding. What looked promising on paper has performed beyond expectations. The louvers succeed in maximizing light while minimizing heat and energy use. And they function as one of the center’s most pleasing and distinctive aesthetic features.
Architects and developers designing projects in hot climates like Florida would be well-served to study and experience The Mall at University Town Center’s unique, sustainable design. The center’s engineered ceiling solution may set a new standard for letting the sunshine in.
Describe what you feel to be the key reasons for the success of the project (environmental enhancements, space utilization, construction costs, and the like).
Simply put, The Mall at University Town Center is the right project, built at the right time, in the right location, with the right consumer offerings.
UTC successfully fills a retail void in the affluent, growing Sarasota-Manatee market. While booming for decades with new year-round residents, commercial development and seasonal tourism, the center’s trade area did not experience a similar gain in retail offerings, especially in the categories of better apparel and fashion merchandise. UTC, the market’s first new regional mall built in 35 years, has addressed that opportunity with more than 65-percent of its tenants unique to the market.
In addition to the center’s responsive merchandising, UTC’s location within the master-planned University Town Center development contributes to the project’s success. Integrated with adjacent retail, commercial, residential and recreational uses, the mall benefits from and contributes to the broader appeal of this regional destination. And UTC is surrounded by many of the most affluent communities in Southwest Florida, including Longboat Key, Lakewood Ranch, Bird Key, and Lido Key.
The center’s welcoming design, embracing the region’s contemporary architectural traditions, creates an appealing shopping, dining and entertainment destination for residents and visitors. UTC’s amenities and services, including interactive touchscreen directories, an irresistible children’s play area, and 16 electric vehicle charging stations, delight customers. And the center’s state-of-the-art smart phone app, enabled by Bluetooth low-energy beacons and GPS technology, provides customers with real-time way-finding, trip-planning and deal-discovering opportunities.
Was the developer required to make an investment in the community? If so, explain what had to be done and what the impact was on the community.
University Town Center developers were required to fund road improvements along N. Cattleman Road from University Parkway adjacent to the center to the Fruitville Road/I-75 interchange south of the center. This construction improves the flow of traffic around and beyond the center for all motorists.
Beyond the substantial employment, investment and municipal revenue benefits contributed by the center, The Mall at University Town Center’s management is active and supportive in the market’s civic affairs and maintains close working relationships with local charitable institutions. UTC’s Sneak Peek Charity Preview, held the night before Grand Opening, contributed $250,000 to area charities. Recognizing the center’s commitment to the communities it serves, Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce President Steve Queior commented, “The UTC is an exemplary civic citizen, as evidenced by the many ways it supports diverse not-for-profit service organizations and their good works.”
Sustainable Design
Is your project ISO, LEED, ARUP or BREEAM certified?
No
If yes, at what level?
Describe the project's central approach to sustainability such as energy and water use, the internal environment, pollution, transport, materials, waste, ecology and management processes.
The Mall at University Town Center’s smart-building design makes it one of the most technologically advanced and sustainable regional shopping centers ever built.
A high-speed fiber-optic infrastructure running throughout the center enables a number of smart building technologies to monitor and efficiently manage energy use. Energy-efficient mechanical systems, building automation systems, and extensive use of interior and exterior LED lighting help reduce the center’s impact on the environment while holding down operating costs.
Green building practices employed include the innovative use of high-performance skylight glazing to minimize heat and glare, a white roof to limit heat gain, and the incorporation of
low-emitting building materials such as paints, adhesives and flooring. The mall also established tenant guidelines encouraging green building methods in store build-outs.
Water conservation is achieved through the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures, circulating water systems in fountains, and the incorporation of native, water-efficient landscaping with drip irrigation. Bioswales are located throughout the parking fields to minimize irrigation and control storm runoff. Construction waste was minimized during development, and recycling stations are provided in the mall and service areas. In addition, guidelines for tenants encourage ongoing recycling of waste materials.
Traveling to the mall is made more efficient by the availability of electric car-charging stations, bike paths and racks and the center’s connection to the region’s public bus system.
Supporting Marterials
Documentation
Tenant Mix / Merchandising Plan
Maps / Floor Plan
Photo Gallery
Audio / Video
Description of Entry
At the heart of one of Florida’s most attractive multi-use developments, The Mall at University Town Center has provided a distinctive shopping experience, filling a retail void in the affluent, growing Sarasota-Manatee market.
Embracing Southwest Florida’s contemporary architectural style, the shopping center creates a resort-like environment in which to shop, dine, stroll and relax – a gathering place for the greater Sarasota community.
Over the last several decades, while booming with new year-round residents, commercial development and seasonal tourism, the center’s trade area did not experience a similar gain in retail offerings, especially in the categories of better apparel and fashion merchandise. The market’s only new regional mall built in 35 years, has addressed that opportunity with more than 100 stores and restaurants, 65 percent of which are unique to the market.
Back in 2006, when the developers were first finalizing plans for the mall, retailer and municipal support for an upscale center in Sarasota was strong. The ideal location for such a project was the intersection of I-75 and University Parkway, the focal point of the 276-acre master-planned community. However, the Great Recession, which began in 2007, brought a halt to major real estate development across the United States.
Patience and confidence in the extraordinary promise of the shopping center overcame this financial challenge. The beautiful, energy-efficient, technologically advanced new center opened on October 16, 2014, to rave reviews.
More than a successful new retail development, it's a powerful symbol of recovery for America’s real estate and retailing industries.
Size of Store
Company Name
Architect
Designer
General Contractor
Type of Merchandise
Opening Date
If Renovation, Store's Original Opening Date
Store's Renovated Opening Date
Summary
Retail Store Design
Provide detailed information on the design concept, including background on the reasons for the concept, its development and impact on store image and sales performance.
Describe the integration of interior, storefront and merchandise displays.
Describe the specific materials used in creating the new concept.
If this is a renovation, describe the impact on sales. If this is a new store, comment on sales performance to date versus the planned performance.
Total cost per square meters including design, leasehold improvements and fixtures.
Documentation
Floor Plan
Audio / Video
The Mall at University Town Center
Category
New Developments > Retail projects over 500,000 sq. ft. of total retail space
Description
140 University Town Center Drive
{34243 Address#projectAddress.City}, Florida 34243
,
Winner Status
- Commendation