The Little Drummer Boy

Armed robbery at Wrentham Premium Outlets

BY DAVID LINTON and STEPHEN PETERSON SUN CHRONICLE STAFF

WRENTHAM — A pistol-wielding robber hid in a high-end fashion store at the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets until closing time Tuesday night, before tying up the four employees and robbing the store of about $15,000, police said this morning.

The robbery was reported around 9:20 p.m. at the Guess Factory Store after the employees, all of whom duct-taped and forced into a fitting room, waited until the robber left and freed themselves. One employee was taken to Caritas Norwood Hospital with minor injuries, Detective Lt. Bill McGrath said.

The robber was seen earlier lingering in the store around the 9 p.m. closing time, McGrath said.

“He may have hidden himself in the store until they were in the process of closing the store,” McGrath said, adding that the store is one of the larger stores in the mall on South Street (Route 1A).

The robber displayed a handgun and duct-taped employees' mouths and feet before forcing them at gunpoint into a fitting room. One of the employees was forced to open the cash drawers for him before that worker was ordered into the room with the others, the detective said. The robber was alone in the store but it is not known if he had someone waiting outside to help him escape, McGrath said.

The investigation is continuing and police are trying to determine if there is any security videotape available to help them identify a suspect, McGrath said.

The robber was identified as a black male in his mid 20s of average height and build. he was wearing a black baseball cap and a black puffy-style jacket at the time of the robbery.

Police searched the mall area and notified surrounding communities but no suspects were found. Plainville and Norfolk police assisted.

State police crime scene investigators were called to the mall.

Armed robbery at Tanger Outlets in Lancaster

By RYAN ROBINSON - Lancasteronline

A manager was robbed at gunpoint after closing a Tanger Outlets store Tuesday night, East Lampeter Township police reported.

The woman closed the Yankee Candle store along Stanley K. Tanger Boulevard at 10 p.m., township police Lt. Robin Weaver said.

She had exited the store through the front door and was walking to her car in a parking lot behind the building when a robber approached and called out to her, Weaver said. The store manager quickly got into her car and locked its doors.

"Then the guy pointed a gun at her and told her to open the door," Weaver said. "She did and he grabbed her purse and ran off."

He fled west from the scene on foot, Weaver said.

Lancaster city police and a tracking canine helped township police search for the robber, but he was not found.

The store manager was not injured, Weaver said.

Loss was limited to her purse and its contents, he said. She did not have any money from the store at the time.

The robber was described as a black man in his 20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 130 pounds, he said. He was wearing a gray and black knit hat and a hooded sweatshirt.

Tanger still considering Westgate City outlet center

by Rebekah L. Sanders - Dec. 14, 2011 06:07 AM The Arizona Republic

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc. appears to still be considering plans to build at Westgate City Center, a project that would energize the struggling area with new customers, according to city and outside sources.

Glendale officials declined to comment. A message left with Tanger CEO Steven Tanger was not returned.

Charlie Dunlap, who is asset manager for the investors who own a portion of Westgate, said decisions on big changes to the parcel and its management are expected to be made by the end of the year.

"Right now everything is kind of in limbo. We're in some negotiations that will determine what the direction is in the development," Dunlap said. "I really can't comment on those because I'm not part of them ... But I think all the changes planned are going to be great."

When asked whether Tanger was moving forward with the project, including working on a site application to Glendale, Dunlap said he isn't directly involved because "those (negotiations ) are between the lender and Tanger."

The North Carolina-based outlet developer announced plans for a major shopping center in the West Valley earlier this year.

Initial talks were to locate the outlet mall at the undeveloped Algodon Center near Loop 101 and Camelback Road in Phoenix but the company pulled out last spring, citing lack of interest from tenants. In May, former Westgate developer the Ellman Cos. announced it had opened talks with Tanger to relocate just a few miles north.

Little was heard about the project through the summer and fall, as the Ellman Cos. lost most of Westgate to foreclosure.

Two major lenders took over different parts of the property and have been working to pump up business.

The investment firm iStar Financial now owns the developed portion of Westgate that boasts shops, restaurants and a movie theater. The undeveloped portion, where the Tanger outlet may go, is controlled by CCD Equity Partners LLC, an investor group previously represented by Credit Suisse.

The Tanger outlet would have "natural synergy" with the Westgate shopping and entertainment core that surrounds Jobing.com Arena, said Jeff Teetsel, asset manager for iStar Financial.

Teetsel said he's generally aware of the talks, but is not directly involved. "It's potentially very complementary with Westgate and could further enhance the visitors and traffic flow to this intersection," he said. "We're watching it as a supportive neighbor."

Dunlap, of real-estate firm RRA Cos., the asset manager for CCD Equity Partners, said he has high hopes for Westgate's future.

"It's going to be a major draw," he said. "It's a shame because what happened there, it was a perfect storm. You had the economy go to pot. You had the confusion of whether the Coyotes are going to stay or not. ... The previous owner just didn't have enough income to do the things to turn it around because the economy went south on him and the opportunities withered up. Now that we've got lenders in place who are committed to success, I think it's going to be a tremendous asset to the entire community."

He said CCD Equity Partners has the resources to make Westgate successful.

The Republic obtained a draft site plan for a Tanger outlet development dated Nov. 15, which closely match project details announced by the Ellman Cos. last spring. It's unclear whether other, different drafts exist.

A site plan is a map of what the developer intends to build and is submitted through a site application to the city, one of the first steps to gaining construction approval. The draft map has not been filed with the city, and could go through changes before Tanger submits it.

The draft places the outlet mall at the southeast corner of Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue.

The draft shows the outlet center could wrap around the few buildings that currently exist alongside dirt lots on 95th Avenue, like My Big Fat Greek Restaurant and Bananas Ranas, and stop before the Hampton Inn & Suites.

The draft drawing, prepared by the frequent Tanger architecture firm Adams and Associates, notes construction could occur in two phases, with the majority of the project completed in the first phase.

No timing was given on the draft.

The project would bring relief to a corner of Westgate that can be overlooked by visitors.

"We couldn't be more excited and happy about it," said Ashley Young, manager at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, who said she heard about the outlet center some time ago but hadn't heard any updates.
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc.

The closest Tanger outlet to Arizona, in Barstow, Calif., features brands such as Banana Republic, Coach, Gap, Michael Kors, Reebok and Tommy Hilfiger.

Another one is planned in Scottsdale at Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road near the Talking Stick Resort.

Two other new outlet malls are proposed in the Valley.

Macerich Inc., parent of Phoenix-area mall developer Westcor, has teamed with Florida's AWE Talisman Co. to build the Fashion Outlets of Scottsdale, a 350,000-square-foot project at Scottsdale Road and Loop 101.

Simon Property Group's Premium Outlets division plans to build a 360,000-square-foot mall, called the Phoenix Premium Outlets, adjacent the Wild House Pass Hotel & Casino near Interstate 10 and Loop 202.

Armed Robbery at Gilroy Premium Outlets

by Gilroy Dispatch

Two masked suspects armed with handguns held up employees at a Gilroy Premium Outlets store early Friday morning, making off with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the Gilroy Police Department.

As two workers at the Gap store on San Ysidro Avenue closed up shop around 1:30 a.m., two suspects wearing ski masks brandished their weapons at the employees, forcing them back into the store and stealing money from a safe, police said. The suspects were described as between 5-feet-5 and 5-feet-8-inches tall with slim builds, GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said. Along with their black ski masks, the suspects donned black hooded sweatshirts and dark pants, Gallacinao said.

He said the store employees were not injured.

Residents concerned about National Harbor Outlets

by Mimi Liu - Gazette.net

 The developer of a planned retail outlet on Oxon Hill Road across from National Harbor plans to build a 75-room hotel at the site, a decision that doesn’t sit well with some Fort Washington area residents who worry nearby roads can’t handle traffic from the outlets, and a hotel would aggravate the problem.

Andre Gingles, an attorney for the developer, Fairfax, Va.-based Peterson Cos., unveiled a conceptual site plan of the proposed 80-store Tanger Outlets on Monday to Fort Washington-area residents at a public meeting at Indian Queen Elementary School.

Representatives for the Peterson Cos. will present the plan Jan. 12 to the Prince George’s County Planning Board on the first floor of the County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.

The outlet center will occupy about 350,000 square feet on a 40-acre site with an entrance from Oxon Hill Road, which extends from Md. Route 414 west of the Capital Beltway to Indian Head Highway/Md. Route 210.

But residents say a single entrance to the outlet centers will not be enough to cope with added traffic, even with improvements slated for Oxon Hill Road.

Fort Washington resident Valerie Walker, who lives off Fort Foote Road, said she was shocked and upset that Peterson Cos. was not going to include an entrance to the outlet from Route 210 to alleviate traffic into the outlet centers from the two-lane Oxon Hill Road.

“That’s crazy,” she said. “It’s not gonna work. The traffic on Oxon Hill Road is going to be more congested than it is now. There needs to be some type of overpass or something built that will lead from the expressway right into the outlet.”

Walker said she has nothing against a retail outlet being built.

“I love Tanger,” she said. “I’ve been to three or four different Tanger outlets, but this is just not gonna work.”

Some improvements are planned on Oxon Hill Road next year to alleviate traffic and safety issues, including a project expected to begin next spring to add bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of Oxon Hill Road in a 2.5-mile stretch from just south of National Harbor to Fort Foote Elementary School, said Susan Hubbard, a spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation.

Fort Washington resident Elizabeth Price, 65, who supports having the outlets, said she would have rather seen a community center or sports complex for children built on the site instead of a hotel.
“We don’t need any more hotels,” she said. “We’ve already got the Clarion Hotel and the Red Roof Inn [on Oxon Hill Road] and the hotels at National Harbor.”

Rafiq Munir, president of the South Potomac Citizens Association, who hosted Monday’s meeting, said he likes the idea of having a retail outlet center to spur economic development in southern Prince George’s County, but not at the expense of the residents’ quality of life.

“The communities in the immediate area are going to bear the brunt,” he said. “[The developers and county officials] need to mitigate the impact as much as possible.”

Gingles said Peterson hopes to have approval for the construction of the entire outlet project finalized by mid-2012, with construction starting in summer 2012 and a projected opening date by Memorial Day or Labor Day 2013.

The outlet center, expected to bring nearly 900 jobs to the area, will have at least one restaurant in addition to several eateries, a loading/unloading area for tour destination buses, and more than 1,000 parking spaces, Gingles said.

He said the stores at the Tanger Outlets, which have not been confirmed, will be similar to those offered at Hagerstown Premium Outlets and Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets in Leesburg, Va., attracting visitors from outside Prince George’s and the state.

“Shopping is a big thing that people tend to want to do during conferences and conventions [at the National Harbor],” he said. “The outlet will be a great way for retailers to make dollars and for customers to pick up merchandise at low prices.”

Gingles said under Tanger’s policies, new construction projects will not begin until at least 50 percent of tenants have committed to the lease.

Peterson, who is the developer of National Harbor, is also building a new Walmart a mile from National Harbor and the outlets. The Walmart will be built at the intersection of Oxon Hill Road and Route 210, next to the Clarion Hotel, and is expected to be completed around the same time as the outlet center.

JCPenny returning to Franklin Mills

Philadelphia Business Journal by Peter Van Allen

JCPenney will make a return to the Franklin Mills mall in Philadelphia — this time as a full-line store.

Last January the retailer said it would close 19 outlet stores, including its Franklin Mills location.

In March, it will open a 100,000-square-foot store in the same space, the mall said. It will have an updated design and an assortment of professional-and-lifestyle attire for men, women and children.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE:JCP), which is based in Plano, Tex., has 1,100 JCPenney stores and annual sales of $17.8 billion.

Franklin Mills, which is owned by Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group    (NYSE:SPG), has 200 outlets and what it calls “value retail” stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Kenneth Cole Outlet Store, Guess Factory Store and others.

Food Network Star opens restaurant in Tanger Outlets

by WSAV.com

It was a star-studded night at the Tanger Outlets in Bluffton as Food Network chef Robert Irvine unveiled his new culinary addition to the lowcountry "Nosh." Irvine says it's important for him to help grow the local economy.

"I'm from South Carolina via the south of England, but what's important to me in the lowcountry is that we have jobs, we can support the charities that are around here, and that people have money, the charities have money, said Irvine."

"Nosh" is the second restaurant Irvine has opened here in the lowcountry, the first is "Eat." He says that South Carolina and its residents are close to his heart.

"There's just a different vibe about South Carolina, the lowcountry has some of the most amazing places, amazing people and amazing food."

And Tanger Outlets manager LaDonna Shamlou thinks this new addition will bring in more foot traffic.

"He has a huge following, I'm a huge fan myself, and we've had numerous phone calls about it and people very excited, so I think it's really going to add a lot to our center here and we're really excited to have him as a partner."

And for Irvine, he hopes his celebrity status will bring in more tourists and more dollars for the lowcountry.

"South Carolina's visited by many many millions of people anyway, but if they've got an added attraction to come here and say I ate at Robert Irvine's "Eat" or "Nosh," great! But as long as they come here, are spending their dollars here, theyre not going anywhere else, we don't care."

Woodstock GA approves new outlet center

WOODSTOCK, Ga., Dec. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Group Properties, Inc. (HGPI) (OTC:HGPI.PK) announced that the Woodstock, GA City Council unanimously voted to approve a new outlet shopping center in Woodstock, Georgia. The 365,000 square foot factory outlet shopping center is being developed by Horizon Group Properties and will include many of the best names in the factory outlet industry. It will be located at the intersection of Ridgewalk Parkway and I 575.

"We are excited that Horizon Group selected our community to locate a project of this economic significance," said Mayor Donnie Henriques of The City of Woodstock. "We believe that The Outlet Shoppes will draw shoppers from a large region adding to the local municipalities' employment and tax base."

Horizon Group is planning for construction on the project to begin in the first half of 2012 creating approximately 1,000 construction jobs. When the center is fully open and operational 1,200 permanent jobs and 1,600 seasonal holiday jobs are projected to be created.

"We are impressed with the thoroughness and professionalism the Mayor, Council Members and staff from Woodstock has demonstrated during the review and approval of The Outlet Shoppes," said Gary J. Skoien, chief executive officer of Horizon Group Properties.

The center will generate more than $130 million in annual sales which would generate $3 million of sales and property taxes for the City of Woodstock and combined taxes for the City, Cherokee County and the Schools of $34 million over the next 10 years.

More details about the project including other amenities and entertainment choices at the center will be released as the project commences construction.