More luxury shopping ahead for Sarasota

Have you ever been to the Millenia Mall in Orlando? It is pretty nice isn't it? Well, that mall is going to be the model for Benderson's University Town Center development on University Parkway.

Benderson Development has received clearance to pull permits for the new project after the state overruled objections raised by the Westfield Group, the Australian-based owner of the Southgate and Sarasota Square malls.

According to retail experts and developers, the Sunshine State will remain a viable luxury market for locals and a shopping destination for tourists, even in a depressed economy.

While other developers have focused on the largest markets in the country, sometimes adding to already saturated areas, the Benderson, Forbes Co. and Taubman Centers Inc. team chose to bring unique retailers into an underserved market. The formula is one that Forbes has followed since 1985, when the company built his first mall in Florida.

"We like to bring to the marketplace the best of class, focusing on unique tenants," said managing partner Nathan Forbes.

Forbes predicted that 70 percent of the retailers coming to the 900,000 square foto mall will be new to the market. Finding unique retailers and restaurants has been a formula for success with Forbes' malls in Palm Beach, Naples, Orlando and Miami.

The company aims to bring in exclusive department stores, as they did when they attracted Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom to University Town Center

Forbes goes for a specific architectural look: details, finishes and unique materials. Kiosks and carts are not allowed. Aisles are wide with an airy and well-lit feel.

Even with the sagging economy, the Florida retail market remains hot, thanks in large part to the European tourists and wealthy visitors who love the state. Visit Florida says shopping ranks among the top five things that domestic vacationers want to do here. It is the No.1 aim among international visitors.

Information came from this article.

I think this is great news. Not only does this make Sarasota a better place to live but the new development and the construction of it employs a lot of people. For a small city, Sarasota does offer quite a bit of shopping. The addition of the University Town Center will make shopping even more exciting for residents and vacationers.