Butler Plaza
Encyclopedia
Butler Plaza is a large retail complex located in southwest Gainesville, Florida
. It is the largest power center in Florida and among the largest in the southeast United States
. Built on the site of Stengel Airport, which closed in 1971, the shopping center currently consists of three major sections, East, Central, and West, with plans to build a northern section that will double its size.
The complex is named for the late Clark Butler, who developed the area in the 1990s. It is sometimes nicknamed The Miracle Mile and Restaurant Row (due to the number of restaurants) and is bordered by 34th Street to the east, Interstate 75
to the west, and Archer Road to the south. Anchor store
s include Lowe's
, Wal-Mart
, Target
, Best Buy
, and two Publix
supermarkets. In addition to attracting customers from Gainesville and the near-by University of Florida
, Butler Plaza also attracts customers from outside Alachua County.
, Wal-Mart
, and Publix
. A 14 screen Regal Cinemas
movie theater is located on the northern side of the complex.
A large retail space adjacent to Publix has remained mostly vacant since the supermarket relocated into its present location in 1999. Also near Publix is a Gainesville Regional Transit System
bus stop, which serves as the terminus for several RTS routes.
Other tenants include
and several other medium-sized retailers
Other tenants include
and a second Publix supermarket (formerly an Albertsons
until 2008)
Other tenants include
. These plans called for an additional 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) of retail space, 400 hotel rooms, and 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) of office space.. Although Butler died in 2008, the Butler family still plans to pursue the expansion.
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
. It is the largest power center in Florida and among the largest in the southeast United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built on the site of Stengel Airport, which closed in 1971, the shopping center currently consists of three major sections, East, Central, and West, with plans to build a northern section that will double its size.
The complex is named for the late Clark Butler, who developed the area in the 1990s. It is sometimes nicknamed The Miracle Mile and Restaurant Row (due to the number of restaurants) and is bordered by 34th Street to the east, Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
to the west, and Archer Road to the south. Anchor store
Anchor store
In retail, an anchor store, draw tenant, anchor tenant, or key tenant is one of the larger stores in a shopping mall, usually a department store or a major retail chain....
s include Lowe's
Lowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
, and two Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
supermarkets. In addition to attracting customers from Gainesville and the near-by University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, Butler Plaza also attracts customers from outside Alachua County.
Butler Plaza East
Butler Plaza East is anchored by Lowe'sLowe's
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, and Publix
Publix
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation. Publix is currently ranked No. 86 on Fortune magazine's list of 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010 and was ranked No...
. A 14 screen Regal Cinemas
Regal Cinemas
Regal Cinemas is a UK-based cinema chain since the early days of the cinema. In 1928, Regal Cinemas became part of Associated British Cinemas but has retained the name 'Regal Cinemas'....
movie theater is located on the northern side of the complex.
A large retail space adjacent to Publix has remained mostly vacant since the supermarket relocated into its present location in 1999. Also near Publix is a Gainesville Regional Transit System
Gainesville Regional Transit System
Gainesville Regional Transit System is the local area transit corporation that serves the Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida area and the University of Florida campus. It presently serves 25 city routes , nine campus routes, and three "Later Gator" routes...
bus stop, which serves as the terminus for several RTS routes.
Other tenants include
- Compass BankCompass BankCompass Bank is a name of a bank. It may refer to:#Compass Bank of New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA, acquired by Sovereign Bank in 2004#BBVA Compass, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, USA...
- CVS/pharmacy
- Bonefish GrillBonefish GrillBonefish Grill is a seafood restaurant chain founded on January 15, 2000 in St. Petersburg, Florida by Tim Curci and Chris Parker. It is owned and operated by OSI Restaurant Partners headquartered in Tampa, Florida....
- Olive GardenOlive GardenOlive Garden is an American restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in an unincorporated area in Orange County, Florida, near Orlando. Olive Garden operates more than 730 locations globally.- History :The...
- T.G.I. Friday'sT.G.I. Friday'sT.G.I. Friday's is an American restaurant chain focusing on casual dining. The company is a unit of the Carlson Companies. Its name is taken from the expression TGIF...
- McAlister's DeliMcAlister's DeliMcAlister's Deli is a chain of fast casual restaurants founded in 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi by retired dentist Dr. Don Newcomb. There are currently over 300 locations in 23 states, ranging from Virginia in the East to Florida in the South to New Mexico in West to Indiana in the Midwest...
Butler Plaza Central
Butler Plaza Central is located directly adjacent to Butler Plaza East and is anchored by a Best BuyBest Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
and several other medium-sized retailers
Other tenants include
- Pier 1 ImportsPier 1 ImportsPier 1 Imports Inc. is a Fort Worth, Texas based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories and seasonal decor. The chain operates over 1,000 stores under the name Pier 1 Imports in the United States, Canada, Mexico...
- OfficeMaxOfficeMaxOfficeMax , is an American office supplies retailer that was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Naperville, Illinois.-History:On April 1, 1988, OfficeMax was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, by Bob Hurwitz and Michael Feuer. Hurwitz served as executive chairman and chief executive officer and Feuer...
- MichaelsMichaelsMichaels is an arts and crafts retail chain. It currently operates more than 1040 Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores located in 49 U.S. states and in Canada. The company owns and operates the Aaron Brothers retail chain which consists of more than 140 stores...
- PetSmartPetSmartPetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
and Butler Plaza Animal Hospital - Ross Dress for LessRoss Dress For LessRoss Stores, Inc. , is a chain of American off-price department stores headquartered in Pleasanton, California, operating under the name Ross Dress for Less. It is the third largest off-price retailer in the United States, behind T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, both of which are owned by TJX Companies.As...
- AT&T WirelessAT&T WirelessAT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
Butler Plaza West
Butler Plaza West is the western-most section of the complex and is separated from Butler Plaza Central by 37th Blvd. This section is anchored by a TargetTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
and a second Publix supermarket (formerly an Albertsons
Albertsons LLC
Albertsons LLC is a North American grocery company based in Boise, Idaho, with over 240 supermarkets located in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida under the Albertson's and Super Saver Foods banners...
until 2008)
Other tenants include
- Pacific SunwearPacific SunwearPacific Sunwear of California, Inc. is a US based retail clothing brand rooted in the youth oriented culture and fashion vibe of California. The company sells lifestyle apparel, along with footwear and accessories designed for teens and young adults. As of late 2011, the company operated over 800...
- Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
- Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
- Rack Room Shoes
- Gainesville Ale HouseMiller's Ale HouseMiller's Ale House is a Florida-based restaurant chain which serves steaks, chicken, burgers, salads, seafood, and similar items. Though most of their locations are located in Florida, there are a small number of facilities now open in Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania...
Northern Expansion
Clark Butler originally envisioned expanding the shopping center to the north into 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of vacant land, formerly occupied by a trailer parkTrailer park
A trailer park is a semi-permanent or permanent area for mobile homes or travel trailers. The main reasons for living in such trailer parks are the often lower cost compared to other housing, and the ability to move to a new area more quickly and easily, for example when changing jobs to another...
. These plans called for an additional 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) of retail space, 400 hotel rooms, and 200000 square feet (18,580.6 m²) of office space.. Although Butler died in 2008, the Butler family still plans to pursue the expansion.