New Livermore outlet center unveils retailers

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Mar 4, 2009 | by David Morrill

As the rest of the Bay Area struggles to stay afloat during tough economic times, outlet retailers hope to have found safe haven in a new center expected to be complete in 2010.

On Wednesday, the developer, Prime Retail, announced that 17 designer and name-brands have signed leases. Located at the southeast side of the El Charro Road exit, this site, called Prime Outlets Livermore, will be anchored by a 24,000 square foot Neiman Marcus Last Call.

"We are just thrilled with this center and feel like it's going to further our attempts to make Livermore a destination city," Dale Kaye, president of the Livermore Chamber of Commerce said.

The site is expected to break ground this year with completion by the end of 2010.

"We felt that it is going to serve a very large population in an area that there is no dominant outlet center in the market," Karen Fluharty, a senior vice president of Prime Retail. "The site visibility is extremely strong from the highway."

If the $156 million project goes off as planned, then it could be ready for open by the fourth-quarter of 2010. The developer estimates that it will serve about 8.7 million people living within a 60 mile radius of the site.

When fully leased, it will feature about 120 outlet stores on about 470,000 square feet of space. Other stores include Adidas, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Gap, and True Religion.

Fluharty understands that it's a tough time to develop a large project like this, but believes that the Outlets might be what the area needs.

"Obviously no one is immune to the macro economic factors that are happening around the world, but what we have found is that Outlet centers in general perform well in difficult times," "Customers like being able to have a place to go to where they can get 25 to 65 percent off discounts everyday."

Staff writer David Morrill can be reached at 925-977-8534 or dmorrill@bayareanewsgroup.com. The merchants announced Wednesday to be at the Prime Outlets Livermore expected to open at the end of 2010 are:

Adidas Outlet Store

Ann Taylor Factory Store

Banana Republic Factory Store

Barneys New York

BCBG MAXAZRIA

Brooks Brothers Factory Store

Dooney & Bourke

Coach Factory

Columbia Sportswear

Gap Outlet

J. Crew Factory Store

Michael Kors

Michael Stars

Nine West

Sunglass Station

Tommy Hilfiger

True Religion Brand Jeans