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| Nick Cote/Daily News-Sun - Representatives from Tanger, the City of Glendale, the Governor’s Office, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Arizona Office of Tourism participate in a ground-breaking ceremony for the Tanger Outlet Center Westgate in Glendale Wednesday. |
With most ground-breaking ceremonies, it’s customary to begin construction after the ground has been broken.
It’s a testament to the speed with which the Tanger Factory Outlet Center project in Glendale came together, then, that Wednesday’s ceremony took place with the steady rumbling of construction equipment in the background.
Representatives from Glendale, the governor’s office and the Arizona Office of Tourism joined Tanger President and CEO Steven B. Tanger at the construction site to celebrate what they described as an incredible boon for the West Valley.
“This is a great day in Glendale, Arizona, isn’t it?” Tanger said. “There is a new energy brewing, and we are so happy to be a part of the growth and excitement here in Glendale.”
Announced last month and scheduled to open in just eight months, the 328,000-square-foot Tanger Factory Outlet Center will feature 85 brand-name outlet stores and will be located on 95th Avenue south of Glendale Avenue, across the street from Westgate City Center.
The shopping center will be an open-air mall with parking around the perimeter and pedestrian-only traffic within. The shopping center is expected to provide 800 jobs during construction and 900 full- and part-time retail jobs when it opens for business in November.
Tanger owns 39 shopping centers in 25 states and Canada. Among the stores lined up are Banana Republic, Nike, Talbots, Guess, J. Crew, Under Armor and Brooks Brothers.
“I can’t reveal all the ones we’re talking to,” Tanger said. “It’s a competitive situation.”
Glendale City Councilwoman Joyce Clark, who represents the Yucca District where Tanger Outlet Center Westgate is being built, said she has been impressed by how quickly the project will go from proposal to completion. From a speedy design review process to a streamlined approval of construction documents, Clark said city staff accelerated the project by six months.
“What our team in Glendale has been able to do has been remarkable,” she said. “They really went to bat for this.”
Tanger said that six-month head start will be beneficial.
“If my math is correct, the six months they’ve saved us will generate an additional $1 million in sales-tax revenue for the city, just by allowing us to open six months earlier,” he said.
Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs said she is especially happy to break ground on the Tanger Outlet Center as it shows the Westgate development has a future.
“That vision and potential is still there,” she said.
Barry Broome, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, said the Tanger Outlet Center will help make the area one of the prime spots in the Valley for economic growth.
“Westgate is now slingshotting forward as one of the top employment corridors in our region,” he said. “Take a look around, because this is where West Valley residents are going to be working over the next 10 years.”
Sherry Henry, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, said Glendale is strengthening the West Valley’s claim as one of the state’s top draws.
“People sometimes forget tourism is a business,” she said. “We can sell this. We look at this as an asset. This project is going to create many opportunities and many memories for the 37 million people who come to Arizona each year.”
Jeff Overton, president and general manager at Camelback Ranch-Glendale, presented Tanger with a baseball signed by Chicago White Sox Manager Robin Ventura and Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly.
“On behalf of Camelback Ranch-Glendale, the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, welcome to the team,” he said.
Scruggs noted more than 3 million people visit Westgate each year, while Tanger said his stores bring between 5 and 8 million.
“Add that to the 3 million Mayor Scruggs mentioned, and, where I come from, we call that a ‘gracious plenty.’”
Tanger said the store should generate $7.5 million annually in state sales-tax revenue and $2.6 million annually in city sales taxes
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