University Place (Utah)

40°16′30″N 111°40′45″W

University Place
LocationOrem, Utah
Opening dateMarch 1973 (1973-03)
DeveloperWallace R. Woodbury[1]
OwnerWoodbury Corporation
No. of stores and services150+
No. of anchor tenants3
Total retail floor area1,500,000 sq ft (140,000 m2)
No. of floors1 (2 in Dillard's and RC Willey)
Parking5,400 spaces
Websitewww.universityplaceorem.com

University Place, previously known as University Mall, is a single-story shopping mall located in Orem, Utah, United States. It currently has three anchor stores: Dillard's, RC Willey, and Al's Sporting Goods (formerly Sports Authority). The mall is owned and managed by Woodbury Corporation. With 1,500,000 square feet (140,000 m2) of retail space and 5,400 parking spaces, it was once the largest shopping mall in Utah.[2]

History

University Mall opened for business in March 1973, with ZCMI and JCPenney as anchor stores.[3] Mervyn's was added as a third anchor in 1981.[4][5]

JCPenney closed in 1998, relocating to the then-new Provo Towne Centre in nearby Provo.[6] The former JCPenney space was converted to a new mall wing, which included a food court and a Sports Authority store.[5] Nordstrom opened as the new wing's anchor on March 29, 2002.[7]

In 2003, the Woodbury Art Museum, operated by Utah Valley State College, opened, featuring students' artwork.

On November 23, 1999, Costco opened a store to the north of the mall.[8]

ZCMI was rebranded as Meier & Frank in 2002, after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sold the chain to the May Company. The store was rebranded again as Macy's in 2006 after Macy's acquired May.[9]

Mervyn's closed in 2008, as part of the chain's liquidation. The store's former space sat vacant until its demolition in 2015.[4]

Nordstrom closed on February 24, 2012, relocating to the City Creek Center in Salt Lake City.[10] The space was converted to an RC Willey store, which opened on April 16, 2015.[11]

In 2013, the Woodbury Corporation announced a major revitalization project for the mall, which includes the demolition of the former Mervyn's, the addition of new office and retail spaces, new green spaces, new residential spaces, new hotels, and new parking garages.[12]

The 2015 renovations included the addition of office space and housing and the addition of an entertainment venue called "The Orchard". The mall was then rebranded as University Place.[13]

Sports Authority closed in August 2016 as part of the chain's Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidation. It was replaced by local chain Al's Sporting Goods, which opened in October 2017.[14]

Trader Joe's opened a store in the mall's outlot on July 27, 2018.[15]

On April 25, 2019, it was announced that Macy's would be closing as part of a plan to close 13 stores nationwide. The store closed in the summer of 2019, and was demolished in January 2020.[9][16]

On January 15, 2020, Dillard's announced that they would open a store on the site of the former Macy's in early 2021, replacing their location at Provo Towne Centre. The store opened on March 21, 2022.[17]

References
  1. "Orem shopping mall plan detailed at Road Rites". Deseret News. September 20, 1969. p. 9. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  2. "University Mall: About Us". Woodbury Corporation. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  3. "Mall Contributes to Valley Life Style". Daily Herald. 1974-02-24. pp. 25B.
  4. Pugmire, Genelle (2015-05-12). "Former Mervyns building comes down for new park, road". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2022-07-07. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  5. Martin, Denise. "Orem University Place Mall". Orem UT: The Best Guide to Orem Utah. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  6. Rayburn, Jim (1997-05-15). "Relocation in store for Orem Penney". Deseret News. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  7. "Nordstrom to Close University Mall Store in Orem, Utah". Nordstrom. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  8. Roxburgh, Robert (1999-11-22). "National store chain to open in Orem". The Daily Universe. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  9. Pugmire, Genelle (2019-04-25). "Macy's at University Place in Orem to close this year". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2019-04-26.
  10. Pugmire, Genelle (2011-11-19). "Nordstrom to close Orem store". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  11. McCord, Keith (2015-04-17). "RC Willey opens new store at University Place in Orem". Deseret News. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  12. "Plans for 112-acre University Mall project released". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  13. "University Mall Redevelopment". Woodbury Corporation. Retrieved 2017-10-21.
  14. Lane, Rebecca (2017-10-10). "Al's Sporting Goods finds second home at University Place". Utah Valley 360. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  15. Pugmire, Genelle (2018-07-27). "Latest Trader Joe's opens for business at Orem's University Place". Daily Herald. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  16. Hanbury, Mary (2019-05-30). "Macy's is quietly closing stores — see if yours is on the list". Business Insider.
  17. "Dillard's Opens at University Place in Orem". Utah Business. 2022-03-21. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
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