A leading developer of factory outlet shopping centers is planning a new location on the Salt River Reservation east of Scottsdale.
Plans also have been in the works for a second location in west Phoenix, although a request that was to be considered by a city panel this week was withdrawn.
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc., based in Greensboro, N.C., announced this year its intention to build two outlet centers in metro Phoenix and one in Houston.
"These two states offer the perfect combination of excellent sites on heavily traveled interstates, found in areas where consumers and tourists currently do not have any outlet centers in which to shop," Steven Tanger, the company president and CEO, said in a news release.
Tanger did not identify the specific locations but local sources said both are along the Loop 101 freeway that connects with Interstate 10.
Dave Wetta, a managing director of Faris Lee Investments, said the Salt River outlet center would include about 375,000 square feet of shops on 48 acres northeast of Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road.
Tanger was also seeking approval of the Algodon Center on 53 acres southeast of 99th and Campbell avenues. But that proposal was withdrawn from the agenda of Wednesday's meeting of the Phoenix Planning Commission, city spokesman Michael Hammett said.
Zoning attorney Stephen Earl was unavailable for comment on why Tanger withdrew its request.
Levi Long, a spokesman for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, confirmed the tribe was in negotiations with Tanger on the outlet center but had no further comment.
Tanger, with 33 outlet centers in 22 states, said it would start construction once it had leased half of the first phase of each project. It would take about one year to build each outlet center.
The Scottsdale-area location would be built on the Alter Group's Riverwalk Arizona mixed-use business park. It already includes an office component.
The site is within about a half-mile of the year-old Casino Arizona at Talking Stick Resort and the new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the baseball complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.
"I can't imagine it wouldn't be a winner," Wetta said of the Salt River outlet center. "Value shopping is here to stay, along with these larger-venue shopping experiences that people really want."
Marty DeRito, DeRito Partners Development CEO, said a Tanger Factory Outlet will complement his shopping center, the Pavilions at Talking Stick, just west of Loop 101 at Indian Bend Road.
"It's a great combination with the casino resort and these outlets," DeRito said.
The Pavilions is renovating its 1 million-square-foot center with Mountainside Fitness taking over a former Circuit City building and Target remodeling its store to add groceries, DeRito said.
Tanger's closest location in Barstow, Calif., includes these brands: Aeropostale, Banana Republic, Coach, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Reebok and Rockport.
by Peter Corbett - Apr. 15, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
