It is located at the intersection of McFarland Boulevard and Veterans' Memorial Parkway in Tuscaloosa, the busiest in the city.

Owned and managed by the Montgomery-based Aronov Realty, the mall opened on August 20, 1980.

The property where University Mall now stands was previously home to the ruins of World War II-era Northington Naval Hospital and associated support buildings.

The ruins of the hospital had lain derelict for many years and included a few dozen buildings as well as two immensely tall brick smoke-stacks.

On April 27, 2011, the mall was narrowly missed by a powerful tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa and killed dozens of people, sustaining moderate damage.