Benderson secures additional tenants

EAST COUNTY — Although new tenants for the mega mall, slated for the southwest intersection of University Parkway and Interstate 75, are yet to be named, Benderson Development has announced new tenants in its nearby shopping centers.

Panera Bread will occupy a 4,100-square-foot space in the first phase of the Mall at University Town Center project, The District at UTC. The plaza, located on the west side of Cattlemen Road, just south of University Parkway, is home to Super Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Michaels, among other national retailers.

Benderson already has begun vertical construction on the west side of Cattlemen Road, across the parking lot from Bed Bath & Beyond, on Fidelity Investments, an 8,300-square-foot space.

Panera’s location will be immediately south of the Fidelity building, said Mark Chait, executive director of leasing for the Southeast region at Benderson.

“Vertical construction will start in early fall or late summer,” Chait said of the Panera space. “We’re working on the plans now. (They) will be done before August. Then, we have to get permitting.”

Chait said several other tenants have signed leases for spaces along the University Parkway corridor, as well.

At The Shoppes at UTC, home to BJ’s, Marshall’s and Guitar Center, a new 3,900-square-foot Mediterranean eatery, Apollonia, has opened in the former Urban Flats space.

Build-out also is being completed for Gigi’s Cupcakes, which will open between Nate’s Place and Carmel Café, in about two months, Chait said.

In that plaza, Nordstrom’s Rack continues to build out its 35,000-square-foot space, which will open in November.

Benderson is completing site work to install more parking in the area immediately east of the Nordstrom’s unit, along University Parkway frontage. The site, Chait said, one day may be used for additional retailers, but no plans exist at this time.

Across University Parkway, in The Square at UTC, which houses Home Depot, Bayside Pet Resort & Spa, is preparing to open another location in a 2,500-square-foot space. And slightly farther west, in The Market at UTC, Orange Theory Fitness and a Subway restaurant also are preparing to open in late summer.

Also nearby, CORE Construction will move its headquarters to a roughly 9,200-square-foot space in a nearby Benderson-owned office park, and Alys Facials will open in a 1,250-square-foot space in the Cooper Creek South Retail Plaza, which is home to the Cotton Patch Quilt Shop and other tenants.

Farther north in the East County, Benderson is filling up space in its new Lockwood Commons project, at the southwest corner of State Road 70 and Lockwood Ridge Road. Anchored by Publix, which is slated to open in October, the plaza already has signed leases with Beef O’Brady’s, Purity Cleaners, Hair Cuttery, Perfection nails, Subway and Chinese and sushi restaurants, Chait said.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].