How the new $315M mall in Sarasota will go head-to-head with ecommerce
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 1, 2014

The Mall at University Town Center is opening in an era of unprecedented uncertainty for retailers, but the developers have loaded up on amenities and local touches to lure in shoppers.

The 880,000-square-foot enclosed mall in Sarasota is set to open Oct. 16, the first enclosed mall in the U.S. to open since 2012. That's when Taubman, which partnered with Benderson Development of Sarasota on Mall at UTC, opened City Creek Center in Salt Lake City.

Retailers are fighting to adapt to the ecommerce age, still trying to figure out out how their online operations will interact with brick-and-mortar stores. Several traditional big-box stores have been building their new stores smaller than before, trying to find the intersection of the two lines of business.

"There's a real state of flux,” said Tom Hand, senior vice president of Redstone Commercial, said at a recent NAIOP Tampa Bay event. "It's a hard time to be a retailer.”

But Taubman and Benderson have gone all out to make the Mall at UTC as attractive as possible - a challenge, to say the least, when you consider their biggest competition is shopping every retailer in the world from the comfort of your own home.

Here's a look at what to expect when Mall at UTC opens:

The end of "you are here” maps: The directories in the mall will be touchscreens.

High tech hookups: There's free Wi-Fi and electronics charging stations available throughout the mall, and 16 electric car charging stations will be available.

Come hungry: Restaurants have become "secondary anchors” in shopping centers, and Mall at UTC is no exception. The Cheesecake Factory, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille and Brio Tuscan Grille will have a presence there, and all are new to Sarasota.

Easy access: There's more than 4,000 parking spaces available, and there's valet available for both the mall and restaurants at the central west entry, the mall's main entryway. Saks Fifth Avenue's entrance will have additional valet.

Sustainable shopping: The mall has energy efficient mechanical systems, LED lighting and uses technology to automate building temperatures for maximum efficiency, as well as a white roof to minimize heat gain.

General grandeur: The central west entry features a water fountain, date palm trees and a multi-tiered chandelier. As much natural light as possible is worked into the mall, with skylights throughout the property.

A nod to the local landscape: The interior and exterior showcase colorful native plants with a resort feel. Contemporary design: The mall has a metal-and-glass aesthetic.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.