Tanger Outlets planned for Ten Mile Creek, but environmental questions linger

By Jonathan O'Connell - The Washington Post Capital Business Posted at 06:09 PM ET, 04/16/2013

Tanger Outlets has teamed with local developer Milt Peterson to plan an upscale outlet center for a 100-acre property along Ten Mile Creek in Clarksburg, but the county is still weighing whether to allow the project to proceed.

Tanger and the Fairfax-based Peterson Cos. are already building an outlet center in Prince George’s County at National Harbor, the waterfront complex on the Potomac River. Construction began in November and it will include more than 80 stores including Gap, Chico’s, Brooks Brothers and Calvin Klein.
Peterson and his family have been working on a development plan for the Ten Mile Creek property for more than a year and Tanger, based in North Carolina, announced Tuesday afternoon that it would serve as co-developer. “We believe this new Tanger Outlet Center will be a must-visit value destination and an exceptional experience for our shoppers,” said Steven B. Tanger, president and chief executive, in a statement.

The Ten Mile Creek project, however, faces major hurdles. The Petersons and Tanger do not yet have the needed environmental approvals to move forward, and Clarksburg residents have raised concerns about how new development might affect water quality in Ten Mile Creek. The Montgomery County Planning Board plans to hold a public information session Wednesday afternoon at which the Petersons are expected to present.

On top of that, the Petersons and Tanger will likely face stiff competition from another development team which is planning a project for 40 acres where Adventist HealthCare previously planned a hospital.