USF acquires University Mall

[BigShoop]

Is this true? I've heard rumors that University mall will be closing down in the coming months because of this.

Could this be our very own stadium?

!!!!!!!

[Matt]

no way.  that is too far fetched if you ask me.  where did you hear this?  I know JC Pennys is closing their location there because of the new mall opening up on 56

[Mag Pie]

That rumor has been around for the past couple of weeks or so.  This girl that doesn't even go to USF asked me about it and I didn't know what to tell her.

[Guest]

Two threads on this:

This was the first one - August 27th:

On Campus Stadium (Rumor):

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1125158264;start=0#0

---

This was the second one - August 31st:

Mall Not Selling to USF:

http://www.thebullspen.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=news;action=display;num=1125486793;start=0#0

Which contains the following snippet from the Tampa Tribune:

University Mall is not being sold to the University of South Florida, Mall General Manager Tom Locke said Tuesday. Locke suggested that the rumor of a sale stems from the Mall theater's lease of space to USF for some classes. In coming months, apparel store Level 10 and bed-and-bath store Anna's Linens will open at the Mall.

[BullGrad95]

holy crap!  not again!!!

[TripleB]

It's deja vu all over again ....

[BigShoop]

thanks for clearing it up for me...

damnit, that wouldve been the PERFECT location for it, too.... :-X

[Guest]

The new mall at SR 56 will force University Mall to close eventually... Look what Brandon did to EastLake or Citrus Park did to Tampa Bay Center...

I would say that in 10-15 years, the Mall will be ready to close... at that point, a 50,000-student USF would be in a position to buy the mall property for classroom buildings, maybe some residence halls, and - of course - a football stadium.

Until then, the Mall will continue to operate and USF will continue to use the movie theater for classes.

[BigEastBeasts]

For what its worth, before the FAMU game my fiance and I were at Kay Jewelers in the Brandon Mall and I was wearing my Bulls gear and the manager said something to me about USF purchasing the mall/land. He said that they were having to relocate their store from there because of it.

He may have been misinformed and they may just be moving to the new 56 Mall as well, but thats what he told me.

[RHBullsFan]

University Mall is in the middle of the ghetto....why would we want to have anything to do with purchasing that?

I think the "mall" on 56 where JC Penny's is moving is more like a strip mall, located at SR56 7 Bruce B. Downs. There are supposed plans in the works for a mall at the I-75/SR56 intersection but that has been the story for 2 years. There are STILL cows grazing on the pastures. I think all the fruity environmentalists have done a good job in delaying the build.