University Place (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

University Place (formerly known as University Mall) is the only enclosed shopping mall in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. University Place is owned and operated by Madison Marquette of Washington D.C. [1]The mall is anchored by SilverSpot Cinema. The gross leasable area of the center is 366,000 square feet.[2] The mall is located about two miles northeast from downtown and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Today the mall has an even mix of national and local stores, with a focus on specialty retailers.

University Place
LocationChapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Opening date1973
ManagementMadison Marquette
OwnerMadison Marquette
No. of anchor tenants3
Total retail floor area366,000 square feet (34,000 m2) (GLA)
No. of floors1
Websitehttp://www.universityplacenc.com/
Exterior of University Place

History

The mall originally opened with Ivey's and Belk (Belk-Leggett Horton) in 1973, and Roses Stores as a junior anchor. Ivey's became Dillard's in 1990. In 2002, after The Streets at Southpoint was completed, Belk closed its store at the mall and South Square Mall store in Durham and consolidated both stores into one larger store at Southpoint. Upmarket gourmet retailer Southern Season bought and renovated the former Belk space in 2003.[3] The mall received an exterior and interior renovation 2010.[4]

In 2010, the Chapel Hill Public Library initially planned a permanent move into the mall by taking over Dillard's space. However, Dillard's opted to remain in place and the town rejected the idea of moving the library there,[5] so the library moved into temporary inline space in the mall instead while the current library underwent a renovation and expansion project.[6]

In 2013, a number of businesses from University Square on Franklin Street moved to the mall itself. The Kidzu Children's Museum was the first, taking over the temporary space of the Chapel Hill Library. Four others soon followed, as William Travis Jewelry, Fine Feathers, and Peacock Alley, moved into the former Kerr Drug space. Glee Kids, a children's specialty clothing store, moved nearby. TrySports, a specialty fitness retailer, also opened the same year next door to Southern Season. [7] Fine Feathers is a women’s apparel boutique that began operating at University Square in 1976. William Travis Jewelry, a custom jewelry design store founded and owned by William Travis Kukovich, opened in 2002 in University Square. Kukovich's anchor store was 500 square feet, about the third of the size of the store he replaced it with. His new store at the mall, which replaced the store at University Square, opened on September 2, 2013 and is 3000 square feet.[8] Kukovich's last store was ranked as one of the JCK top 50 jewelry designer stores in the country [9]

Interior of University Place.

In late 2013, Dillard's closed its store and was replaced with a movie theater.[10] It had been converted into a clearance center. [11] In April, the closure of the Roses store was announced as well.[12]

In late 2014, Madison Marquette announced that University Mall would be renamed University Place.[13][14] By late 2015, the name change was complete, with the website updated to a URL using University Place and language referencing the new name, and the signage and facades at the mall now being named University Place.

References
  1. Travis, William. "Triangle Business Journal: Chapel Hill's University Mall Lands Three New Shops « William Travis Jewelry William Travis Jewelry." William Travis Jewelry Triangle Business Journal Chapel Hills University Mall Lands Three New Shops Comments. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
  2. "University Mall Chapel Hill". Madison Marquette. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  3. "A Southern Season to make move to University Mall". The Daily Tar Heel. 11 June 2002. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  4. "Mall Seeking a New Image". The Daily Tar Heel. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  5. "Chapel Hill Library move to University Mall appears dead". Raleigh News & Observer. 10 February 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  6. "Chapel Hill library moving to University Mall". Triangle Business Journal. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  7. Travis, William. "Triangle Business Journal: Chapel Hill's University Mall Lands Three New Shops « William Travis Jewelry William Travis Jewelry." William Travis Jewelry Triangle Business Journal Chapel Hills University Mall Lands Three New Shops Comments. N.p., 28 Aug. 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2013.
  8. "The Scout Guide." The Scout Guide Scouting the Best of Local William Travis Jewelry An Interview with Travis Kukovich Comments. N.p., 12 Nov. 2012. Web. 29 Sept. 2013. <http://thescoutguide.com/william-travis-jewelry-an-interview-with-travis-kukovich/>.
  9. Schwartz, Valarie. "A Walk on the Hollywood Side." The Carrboro Citizen. N.p., 10 Dec. 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.carrborocitizen.com/main/2009/12/10/a-walk-on-the-hollywood-side/>.
  10. http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/12/3364740/movie-theater-restaurant-slated.html
  11. http://www.heraldsun.com/news/x1435696390/University-Mall-Dillard-s-faces-future-as-clearance-center
  12. http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/04/02/3752642/roses-chapel-hills-last-department.html
  13. "Madison Marquette Finishes Renovation and Rebranding of University Mall in North Carolina". Shopping Center Business, 12 Dec. 2014. http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/the-latest-news/madison-marquette-finishes-renovation-and-rebranding-of-university-mall-in-north-carolina.
  14. "University Mall continues its rebranding efforts with new name, University Place". Daily Tar Heel, 2 Feb. 2015. http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2015/02/university-mall-continues-its-rebranding-efforts-with-new-name-university-place.

University Place

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