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Pitaya, a women's clothing store at 341 East Campus Mall in University Square, opened Friday. A story in Sunday's Business section gave the incorrect opening date.(Published caption 11-19-08)
Filling the retail space in the largest mixed-use development in city history has been slowed by the economy, but a grocery store still is in the plans at University Square.
Officials with the $140 million Downtown project say they have filled about 55 percent of the project's 140,000 square feet of retail space and it likely will be full by the end of 2009.
And the biggest tenant could be a grocery store ranging in size from 17,0000 to 28,000 square feet at the corner of Lake Street and University Avenue.
Officials with Executive Management Inc., the developer of the project, say they are pursuing a grocery store to serve the more than 800 residents that live upstairs in the Lucky apartments tower and the thousands of others who live and work around the development.
It's also in the center of more than $400 million worth of building and redevelopment projects in UW-Madison's East Campus Gateway development plan.
The projects include dorms, offices, classrooms, an addition to the Chazen Museum of Art and a performance center for the School of Music, which would be across the street from the proposed grocery.
EMI had been negotiating with Milwaukee-based Roundy's, which operates Copps and Pick'n Save stores, but talks broke down this year. EMI officials haven't disclosed the grocery companies still being considered.
"There is a real need for a grocery store," said Greg Rice, chief executive officer of EMI. "The activity level here is greater than that of some small communities within Dane County."
'Just phenomenal'
University Square has been a destination since Rice's father, Gordon Rice, built a one-story development in 1974. It included a movie theater, post office, shops and Paisan's restaurant.
The building was razed in 2006 to make way for the new version: a 12-story facility, on 3.4 acres of land that is a joint project with EMI, Steve Brown Apartments and UW-Madison.
Brown owns and operates the 359 apartments and the 180-stall residential parking garage and all but the model apartment have been rented. Rents range from $540...