The University of Florida in Gainesville enrolls approximately 60,000 students and maintains a faculty and staff complement that, combined with the Santa Fe College campus, makes the University of Florida–Gainesville one of the largest higher education ecosystems in the United States. The Oaks Mall, at approximately 900,000 square feet on West Newberry Road, is the primary enclosed comparison-shopping destination for a trade area that Gainesville anchors but that stretches across 11 counties — the university generating both the direct retail demand of its student and faculty population and the indirect effect of sustaining a professional service economy at a scale that a North Florida city of approximately 140,000 residents would not otherwise support.
Belk, Dillard’s, and JCPenney anchor the department store tier — Belk’s presence reflecting the property’s position in Florida’s cultural northern tier, where the Southeastern department store chain holds a natural market position. House of Hoops, Foot Locker, Champs Sports, JD Sports, and SNIPES anchor the sports and footwear category, a depth that reflects the University of Florida athletic culture and the consistent demand for performance and street footwear among the student population. The fashion register covers H and M, Hollister, Express, PacSun, Hot Topic, and Journeys. BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, and First Watch anchor the dining offer alongside a food court. Planet Fitness adds a daily-use anchor that sustains weekday visit frequency beyond the periodic retail shopping occasion.
The West Newberry Road location places the property directly accessible from the University of Florida campus and the northwest Gainesville residential corridor. The I-75 interchange at Newberry Road extends the catchment northward into Alachua County and southward toward Ocala, reinforcing the property’s function as the primary regional mall for a multi-county North Florida catchment.
For brands evaluating the Gainesville market, The Oaks Mall’s combination of a large permanent student consumer base, a professional-class university workforce, and a multi-county trade area with no competing enclosed regional mall of comparable scale produces visit frequency and category depth that the raw population figures alone would underrepresent.
Sit-down dining at the property includes BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse and Buffalo Wild Wings. Quick options include Charley's Philly Steak and Chick-fil-A.
Yes. Planet Fitness operates at the property.
Records updated 22 July 2026.
