Butler Plaza facts for kids
Aerial view of Butler Plaza from the south (before the Butler North construction)
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| Location | Gainesville, Florida, United States |
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| Coordinates | 29°37′21″N 82°22′43″W / 29.622461°N 82.378555°W |
| Developer | Clark and Deborah Butler |
| Management | Butler Enterprises |
| Owner | Butler Enterprises |
| No. of stores and services | >100 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 7 |
| Total retail floor area | 1,950,000 sq ft (181,000 m2) |
Butler Plaza is a huge shopping area in Gainesville, Florida. It's one of the biggest retail spots in Florida and even in the southeastern United States. Imagine a place with over 100 stores and restaurants!
This big shopping center is built where an old airport, Stengel Airport, used to be. That airport closed way back in 1971. Today, Butler Plaza has four main parts: East, Central, West, and North. There's also a new area called Butler Town Center being built.
The whole complex is named after Clark Butler, who started developing the area. His daughter, Deborah Butler, joined him in the 1980s. People sometimes call Butler Plaza the "Miracle Mile" or "Restaurant Row" because there are so many places to eat. It's easy to find, located near 34th Street, Interstate 75, and Archer Road.
Some of the biggest stores here include Lowe's, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Sam's Club, and two Publix grocery stores. Lots of people from Gainesville, including students from the nearby University of Florida, come to shop here. People from other parts of Alachua County also visit Butler Plaza.
Contents
Exploring Butler Plaza: Different Sections
Butler Plaza is so big that it's divided into several areas, each with its own cool stores and places to visit. Let's take a look at what you can find in each part.
Butler Plaza East: Movies and More
Butler Plaza East is a fun spot, especially if you love movies! It has a large Regal Cinemas movie theater with 14 screens, so you can always catch the latest films.
Other popular places in this section include:
- Compass Bank
- CVS/pharmacy
- Bonefish Grill
- McAlister's Deli
- Chili's Grill & Bar
- Mattress Firm
Butler Plaza Central: Shopping Fun
Right next to Butler Plaza East, you'll find Butler Plaza Central. This part is home to a Best Buy store, where you can find all sorts of electronics. It also has one of the two Publix grocery stores in the entire shopping center.
Here are some other stores you might find in Butler Plaza Central:
- OfficeMax
- Michaels (for crafts!)
- PetSmart (for your furry friends)
- Ross Dress for Less
- Trader Joe's
- Tuesday Morning
- AT&T Wireless
- Outback Steakhouse
- Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts
Butler Plaza West: Target and Groceries
Butler Plaza West is the part furthest to the west, separated from Butler Plaza Central by Clark Butler Boulevard. This section is anchored by a big Target store, where you can find almost anything. It also has the second Publix supermarket in Butler Plaza. This Publix used to be an Albertsons store until 2008.
Some other stores in Butler Plaza West include:
- Old Navy
- Kirkland's
- GNC
- Rack Room Shoes
- Pollo Tropical
Butler North: The Big Expansion
Butler North is an exciting expansion of the shopping center. It's built on land that used to be a mobile home park. The idea for this expansion started a long time ago, and it has brought many new stores and restaurants to the area.
This new section is designed to be easy to get to, with a new four-lane road called Clark Butler Boulevard.
Butler North has many popular stores and restaurants, such as:
- Mattress 1
- Lowe's
- Sam's Club
- Dick's Sporting Goods
- Orangetheory Fitness
- Walmart
- Ashley HomeStore
- Five Below
- Aldi Supermarket
- Dollar Tree
- Total Wine & More
- Olive Garden
- Longhorn Steakhouse
- Culver's
- Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches
- Bahama Breeze
- Marshalls
Butler Town Center: A New Experience
Butler Town Center is a newer part of Butler Plaza that was completed in 2018. It's an open-air shopping area, which means you can walk outside between stores. It has many large national stores and also includes over 200 fancy apartments. There's even a big food hall with different kinds of food!
Some of the well-known places you can find at Butler Town Center include:
- Whole Foods Market
- PF Chang's China Bistro
