New Shopping Mall????
 

I used the Village Airport Van last night to get from the airport to my home here in TV, and during the ride there was a conversation about a new shopping mall which is supposed to be built on 44. Macy's and Dillards was mentioned. Has anyone heard anything definite about a mall coming to our area?

this news has been circulating for a while now. so far, it's only rumored, but it would be likely, since they've cleared all that land east of Powell Road with golf cart access and everything....wouldn't it be great to have a shopping area like The Loop in Orlando near John Young Parkway and Oceola Parkway?

I heard that the Wildwood town board approved a mall near the corner of 301 and 44. A few years ago I also read somewhere that Wildwood plans on building a community similar to Celebration. My thoughts are that when the Morse family finishes with TV they are going to build the new community. This is only speculation with no foundation.

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".

Yes, it's very sad about the area across from the Charter School. I love to go to the Bealls up there, but it seems so lonely without more stores. All that open space certainly looks like a good spot for shopping and specialty stores.

For the life of me I cannot understand why we need more stores. People cannot even figure what to give for Christmas anymore. That is why gift cards are so prevalent. Due to the demographics and particularly income levels, I doubt a Mall Developer would find it attractive to move here.

Apparently, you and I aren't the only ones thinking this way. A barbed wire fence has been put around the land at 44 and Powell rd, and there are cattle there.

I totally agree. The newspaper before Christmas contained more ad flyers from local stores than news. Yes, there are open spaces in the Buffalo Ridge area. Actually buffalo used to roam there! Now we have some cows. In my humble opinion, open fields are much preferable to wall-to-wall stores!

First off it bugs me that people denigrate the developer for NOT building more stores so that we can shop till we drop. I would love to keep the open spaces we have now. Instead of shopping let's provide space for migrating birds and the wildlife that was displaced building TV. Personally seeing white pelicans or an eagle soar is far more exciting than shopping. There is first class shopping only one hour away in Orlando and the crime that comes along with it. :rant-rave:

I don't think Malls are just for Christmas?

There has been no new malls built in this country for almost 10 years. There have been remodels and repurposed malls/shopping centers but nothing built from the ground up. For a regional mall to be successful there must be a huge demographic drawing from great distances. We simply do not have the diversified and critical mass population to support something of that magnitude in The Villages. The only site worth considering would be something off I-75 or where 75 meets the turnpike. The labor force to staff such an enterprise would be mind-boggling. Malls are open many, many hours, not to mention the additional hours at holiday times.

Why Antrim Dells
 

I saw a plot plan of a new shopping center in the brownswood area that is called Antrim Dells. You may want to access this URL.
As for whether we need more shopping, if you live near 466a you would find that we are very limited for retail stores and they are all very far away. We have to drive 10 mins to pick up something we need at the grocery. We have to drive 25 mins to Kohls, Best Buy, Home Depot, Target, etc. In a golf cart you can double that time. We spend way too much time in the car and way too much money on gas since the only gas station down here is usually 5-10 cents higher per gallon since they have no competition.I wonder how you would feel if you were in this situation? Sweetbay and Publix will both have stores there which will cut our time in half and hopefully take some of the pressure off the stores at Colony Plaza. The Publix there does a million dollars of business per week and anyone who has ever shopped there can tell you what a zoo it is getting through the store. It is way over crowded, under stocked (probably due to the volume,) and does not have anywhere the selection the Publix stores on 441 have.
I guess the "nefarious" developer is answering some of the request from the people near 446A.
Like it or not, TV has become a medium sized town and the people in that town ALL need their needs met. IMHO maybe when we post here we should consider that there are many need other than our own.
:pray: Have a Happy New Year dear Villagers.
Here is a URL you might enjoy Brownwood Paddock Square

As long as people contemplating moving to The Villages understand that to get to first class shopping you have to drive 65 miles each way. This might be different from what people are accustomed to back home.

Not true here are two new malls being built from the ground up within 5 miles of each other both opening in 2013 plus they are within 3 miles of an ongoing Chesterfield Mall Chesterfield Mayor Voices Concern Over Dual Outlet Malls - Chesterfield, MO Patch

It's going to next to the monorail .......:girlneener:

Here's another new Mall New mall being built off of University Parkway

I agree....It seems as Americans all we want to do is destroy nature and build more asphalt jungles !

I don't know if the demographics are in line with a Dillards but I would think a center of outlets would do well here.

Not with 2 of them about 50 minutes east of here. Not enough density or traffic in this area to support a mall.

you forgot Winn-Dixie on 44

doubtful that you will see a "mall" built .... but I fully expect a full line of new "big box" stores to line SR44 ...... Wallyworld, Home Depot / Lowes ect.

Just ask yourself why anyone would spend the money to build Brownwood just off 44 if they did not know of plans for more shopping or a commercial area to lease buildings. Something is planned for that area or Brownwood would not be where it is.

Mo. is in much better economic condition than Fl. Since Florida took over top spot for foreclosures this year. I'm sure that any developer would think twice before large investment like a mall.
Even in Mo. the future growth in retail is going the way of free standing stores.
Kohl's, big box, Target, etc.
Having said that you may know that Chesterfield is actually the outline area of St. Louis. Many people are moving out of St. Louis to Chesterfield to get away from the crime of St. Louis. St. Louis is a lot like Orlando (very high on crime list.)

I do not think that the money would have been spent to build Brownwood (just off 44) if there were not big plans for that entire area. Brownwood will bring more commercial development whether we like it or not. I would not be surprised to see national stores and a huge shopping center across 44.

Well, in SOMD it is a 90Min drive to a good Mall. We have plenty of strip shopping centers, when a new is built, and old one goes empty. Many stores can not compete with Big Box and INTERNET. Hardly any small speciality shops are left, they can not compete.

As for demographics, maybe a problem. I know the Television programs geared for under 50, that is why no more new shows like Diagnosis Murder, The Rogues, Murder, She Wrote, etc. We don't count anymore.

There is land out past 44 on the 301 that is being cleared. Assumed some short of shopping but not thinking the area is big enough for a mall. I have been thinking with the amount of people in the lady lake / villages area a mall would do well. Was also thinking they need to get a Hobby Lobby in here too!! We weren't impressed by the mall in Ocala so I don't get to go up there anymore. Not running all that way just for Hobby Lobby. Come on developers!! There is all that nice land next to lowes being worked...whats going in there??

Home Goods?

It will be assisted living and/or other levels of care for the elderly.

I agree

:jester: Build it and they will come.

Get this...I received 9 gift cards for Christmas. No"gifts in a box". I got a total of $100 in Dunkin Donut gift cards.....I can't eat that many donuts.

not a mall
 

outlet malls are not regional malls; there are no major department stores as anchors, and are usually populated with out of date/overstock/or just stuff that the regular stores could not get rid of. in Philadelphia we have a huge outlet mall, Franklin Mills. The turnover of stores is constant, with empty storefronts all the time. And bargains....well, you can do better at Wal-mart, Target, or even Macy's. And there is a Wal-mart on the property but is free-standing.

The Contractors are the ones getting together and making plans to start another development. They are not starting it until The Villages is complete. This will keep the contractors in business and keep the economy in this area going for the suppliers of the materials. Great idea. Projection from a person in the design portion of the one of the material suppliers is another 1.5 to up to 3 years. Sure a lot will depend on the sale of new homes in The Villages. Understand this development may not be limited to 55 and over.

I still shop for gifts and normally give 1 gift card as a stocking stuffer for food. I love going through a mall at Christmas. In fact this is the first year I didn't and wish there were one around. :(

I am sure that the Developers have the land and would build with a contract from a company that does Malls. BUT the economy is down and not too many such businesses are expanding.

You don't just tell someone to rent from you because the people nearby think they want a business, there has to be valid research on the support of new business and a committment from the company that would run the Mall..

Lots of Malls across U.S. are in trouble and stores are going dark.

I am sure if the developer could find business for a mall they would build it and lease it out.

Related story about where new malls in world are being built;

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoz...alls-in-china/

"IF" any new businesses are coming to T.V.---we all will hear about it in the same place (The Villages Sun, comes to mind)...rather than by rumor. Yes folks will talk with someone, who'd talked to someone else who really knows because (insert the reason). I agree with Gracie on this post, especially. I've been to the mall in Leesburg and in Ocala, not sure that yet another one will flourish here for the same reasons, as theirs having empty store-fronts.

Shopping Mall
 

I maybe in the minority but I wish there was a shopping mall close by - I was not impressed with Paddock Mall - it would be great to have other like a Macy's - not just Belk and Bealls!

I'm with you. Paddock Mall was just so so.

It's just me, but I can't get excited about a Macy's may be moving here. Good store, but how many times a year would I visit it? Probably once at the most. Major malls cannot be supported by just TV and Wildwood. Now restaurants are a different ball game and good ones will be visited often by residents.

I'd go to Macy's once a week.