Benderson Development adds to University Parkway shopping plazas

Benderson Development has submitted plans for a 9,600-square-foot expansion at one of its University Town Center shopping destinations.

Public records show the company is requesting to add storage space behind the unit formerly occupied by Shapes and adjacent to Home Goods in The Shoppes at UTC, located at the northeast corner of University Parkway and Cooper Creek Boulevard.

The square footage brings the space to a total 23,975 square feet, making it one of the largest units in the shopping center. By comparison, Nordstrom Rack is about 35,000 square feet; Ross Dress for Less is about 26,000 square feet; and Home Goods is about 21,500 square feet.

Benderson also is working to build out spaces for seven new restaurants and other future tenants as it responds to market demands. Its shopping plazas in the University Parkway corridor are more than 99% occupied, said Mark Chait, Benderson’s executive director of leasing.

“Right now, we have more demand than we have space,” he said.

Of the signed tenants in Benderson’s cue, seven of eight are eateries of some type, although Benderson is targeting other types of tenants, as well.

“Restaurants are in expansion mode,” Chait said. “Restaurants in the University corridor do extremely well.”

Under construction is a two-tenant outparcel in the same plaza at the corner of Shopping Center and Cooper Creek Boulevard. It will house Daily Eats and Fresh Kitchen, both of which are affiliated with Ciccio Restaurant Group and are expected to open in November, Chait said.

Benderson also is working on a 19,000-square-foot outparcel along Honore Avenue, in its The Square at UTC, anchored by Home Depot.

Oak and Stone, Keke’s Breakfast Cafe and Newk’s Eatery each have signed for spaces ranging from 4,500 to 4,763 square feet.

Joe Seidensticker, a partner in the new Oak and Stone concept, said the restaurant will offer 60 craft beers on a self-serve tap, as well as artisan pizzas and other “American tavern”-style offerings.

“The demographics in the area fit this concept perfectly,” Seidensticker said. “We love the mall. It’s going to be a great spot for a restaurant.”

Chait said Benderson is working on leases for two other units within that building, neither of which will be restaurants. But, with patio dining opportunities and frontage along Honore Avenue, the building is well-suited for eateries.

Chait said the restaurants will receive spaces for build-out between November and January, so all should open within the first quarter of 2016.

Also under construction are outparcels along Cattlemen Road in The District at UTC. Just south of Ethan Allen, a new building will house a nail salon, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Rusty Buckets, a restaurant.

Jpan, a sushi restaurant that closed its Lakewood Ranch location in 2013 but has operated its Sarasota location for about seven years, plans to open a second 1,500-square-foot location in February in an outparcel near Blaze Pizza, along Cattlemen Road in The District at UTC.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].