New mall's anchors revealed

SARASOTA — The Mall at University Town Center, a new $315 million, 880,000-square-foot shopping center planned at Interstate 75 and University Parkway, will feature Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Dillard's as anchors, according to a news release from one of the project's developers.

Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Taubman Centers Inc. will partner with Bradenton-based Benderson Development to complete the project. Taubman, which developed the International Plaza in Tampa and Waterside Shops at Pelican Bay in Naples, will develop, manage and lease the center, but it and Benderson will each own 50%.

The mall will feature approximately 115 stores, of which more than half will be new to the market, the release says. Dillard's will occupy 180,000 square feet, Macy's will occupy 160,000 square feet and Saks will occupy 80,000 square feet.

All three department stores currently have locations at the Southgate mall in Sarasota, located on Tamiami Trail north of Bee Ridge Road. None of the stores has announced whether the new location will impact its Southgate store.

Construction on the project is slated to begin soon, Taubman says, and the two-level enclosed mall is expected to open fall 2014.