Probably rumors again and wishful thinking balloons floated by The Developer. Around the year 2000 The Developer was promoting Buffalo Ridge to be a major mall "even bigger and more beautiful" than Paddock Mall in Ocala, complete with artist sketches, potential stores, etc. All he ended up with was a Walmart and a few scattered buildings and lots of weedy open spaces.
Unfortunately, the target demographic of most large store retailers is not the one or two "mature person" household but is the 4-5 person younger and teenager family. Also, many large retailers will not tolerate the premiuum rental structure imposed in The Villages and believe they do not need a large mall to draw customers, as evidenced by all the national name stores located just off "the reservation".
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All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.
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