BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- When The Mall at University Town Center ("UTC") opens its doors in Sarasota on Oct. 16, it will unveil more than 100 shopping and dining destinations, over half of which will be unique to the Sarasota-Manatee market. The 73-acre, $315-million shopping center was developed through a partnership between Taubman and Benderson Development Company, LLC.

Along with anchor department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Dillard's, The Mall at UTC will feature upscale, fashion and lifestyle retailers, such as Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, lululemon athletica, Crate & Barrel and Tesla Motors; as well as distinctive sit-down restaurants, including The Cheesecake Factory, The Capital Grille and Seasons 52.

"The Mall at University Town Center offers a unique choice of distinctive merchants and dining experiences tailored to the lifestyles of this dynamic market's residents and visitors," said William S. Taubman, chief operating officer for Taubman Centers. "We've created an exciting, engaging physical environment that connects with people and further distinguishes the center as the region's premier shopping destination."  

A detailed listing of UTC's retailers and restaurants can be found at www.mallatutc.com/media_stores.

Fashion

Making their local premieres at The Mall at UTC are women's fashion and lifestyle brands BCBG MAX AZRIA, Michael Kors, bebe, Calypso St. Barth and Vera Bradley; Florida-based swim/resortwear retailer Everything But Water and luxury swimwear boutique OndadeMar; men's clothiers Robert Graham and Camicissima shirtmakers; plus Sarasota's first J.Crew and children's clothing brand Janie and Jack. Anthropologie, Free People and Manhattan's Peter Elliot will be coming soon after opening day. All will be unique to the market.

Local stylemakers such as Jackie Z Style Co. and Tina Stephens also can be found at The Mall at UTC, as can numerous national brands including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Boston Proper, Brooks Brothers, Chico's, J.Jill, Lilly Pulitzer, Tommy Bahama and many more top names in fashion.

Shoes, Jewelry & Specialty

Among the many unique-to-the-market shoes, accessories and specialty retailers debuting at The Mall at UTC are Johnston & Murphy, Stuart Weitzman and Clarks shoes; leading fashion jeweler Swarovski and watchmaker Invicta; popular travel accessory brand Tumi and Samsonite's first J.S. Trunk & Co.; tea emporium Teavana; Miami-based eyewear designer Edward Beiner and the famous Italian notebook company Moleskine, opening their first freestanding atelier.

Home Furnishings

Global home furnishings retailer Arhaus Furniture, contemporary housewares and furniture brand Crate & Barrel, modular "Sactionals" creator Lovesac, stylish home décor brand Z Gallerie and home sound system pioneer Bose will open their first stores in the Sarasota-Manatee region.

Health & Beauty

Opening their first stores in the market are LUSH Handmade Fresh Cosmetics from Britain, ultimate beauty playground Sephora, natural skin care specialists Kiehl's Since 1851, along with artisan soaps from new Canadian brand Soap Stories, premium shaving products and barber services for men from The Art of Shaving, botanically based beauty products and services at Aveda Experience Center, French skin and body care brand L'Occitane and Forever Flawless Diamond-Infused Skin Care.

Automobiles

Tesla Motors will showcase a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars at its first Sarasota dealership. In addition, Gettel Automotive will display the latest Acura, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota vehicles and feature information kiosks throughout the mall.

Restaurants

Leading off the palate-pleasing, unique-to-the-market restaurant lineup at The Mall at UTC are BRIO Tuscan Grille; fine-dining steak and seafood establishment The Capital Grille; full-service restaurant The Cheesecake Factory, known for its legendary desserts; modern American and sushi restaurant Kona Grill; Seasons 52 fresh grill and wine bar and coming soon, the Gulf Coast's first Burger & Beer Joint.

Complementing its premier collection of restaurants, UTC will introduce a number of specialty food, snack and quick-serve dining options, including the first U.S. YO! Sushi from Britain and 4D Gelateria traditional Italian gelato, both coming soon; along with gourmet Belgian chocolatier Godiva Chocolatier, Netherlands-based Oil & Vinegar, Florida's first Rise Pies – handcrafted pizza in under three minutes, and some local favorites, including just-baked confections from Sweet Doctors.

About The Mall at UTC

The Mall at UTC opens Oct. 16, 2014. Located at I-75 and University Parkway, this world-class fashion and dining destination will feature approximately 880,000 square feet of retail space with Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Dillard's and more than 100 stores and restaurants. The shopping center will feature many distinctive retailers not found anywhere else in the local market, offering customers a diverse mix of fashion and lifestyle retailers, popular favorites, sit-down restaurants and a children's play area. For information and updates, visit www.mallatutc.com.

About Benderson Development

Sarasota-based Benderson Development is one of America's largest privately held real estate companies. Benderson owns and manages its holdings, which consists of more than 40 million square feet in 38 states. The diverse Benderson portfolio includes retail, office, industrial and hotel properties. For more information about Benderson, visit www.benderson.com.

About Taubman

Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE: TCO), is an S&P MidCap 400 Real Estate Investment Trust engaged in the ownership, management and/or leasing of 27 regional, super-regional and outlet shopping centers in the U.S. and Asia. Taubman's U.S.-owned properties are the most productive in the publicly held U.S. regional mall industry. Taubman is currently developing six properties in the U.S. and Asia totaling 5.6 million square feet. Taubman, with over 60 years of experience in the shopping center industry, is headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and Taubman Asia is headquartered in Hong Kong. www.taubman.com

For ease of use, references in this press release to "Taubman Centers," "company," "Taubman" or an operating platform mean Taubman Centers, Inc. and/or one or more of a number of separate, affiliated entities. Business is actually conducted by an affiliated entity rather than Taubman Centers, Inc. itself or the named operating platform.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events and financial performance. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date hereof. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Actual results may differ materially from those expected because of various risks and uncertainties.  You should review the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports, for a discussion of such risks and uncertainties.

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SOURCE Taubman Centers, Inc.