Although devoid of shoppers and merchandise on an early October day, the Outlets of Little Rock was noisy and crowded. Construction workers and store crews worked around each other as the last touches were added to the buildings. While it might have been difficult to picture then, the Outlets will be ready for the public Friday.
So far, at least 34 stores will be at the Outlets, but not all of them will be ready for opening day.
“It’ll be a really fun atmosphere,” Outlets of Little Rock spokesman Kila Owens says on behalf of Melissa Boyle, the shopping center's marketing director. “We tried to give it a market feel throughout.”
The Outlets of Little Rock is intended to be the new shopping destination for people in Little Rock and throughout the state. The only center similar to it within a reasonable drive is the Tanger Outlets in Branson, Missouri.
The opening of the Outlets at Little Rock has been one of the most anticipated openings since Bass Pro Shops arrived in November 2013. It is expected that, like with its outdoors-geared neighbor, thousands of people will descend upon the Outlets through the holiday season.
And like Bass Pro, there will be a celebrity guest appearance.
Celebrity stylist and Emmy Award-winning television personality Carson Kressley will host the “Looks for Less” fashion show at the shopping complex at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Kressley is best known for being a member of the “Fab Five” from Bravo reality show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He also hosted How to Look Good Naked on Lifetime and Carson Nation on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The fashion show is free and open to the public.
The Outlets of Little Rock is reminiscent of both a classic outdoor marketplace and a traditional mall. With its use of neutral colors like tan, gray and brown, it’s akin to outdoor adobe markets in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The outdoor lighting ranges from streetlights along the pathway to garden lights hanging above. Like the Promenade at Chenal, the shopping traffic will be outdoors.
Most of the outdoor lighting is LED. The lane and light fixtures are styled to look like those you’d find in a marketplace, unobtrusive to the flow of traffic on the walkways, which themselves are divided by flower beds that will change according to the season.
The shopping center has a prairie-style theme, Owens says, meaning it’s modeled after the works of E. Fay Jones, an architect from Arkansas. The look of the Outlets is reflective of what one finds when walking through Little Rock’s River Market, except on a much larger scale. The Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs also influenced its design, reflected in the large windows and tresses of the buildings.
“I think the layout of the center is inviting and open to customer visits,” Ward 7 City Director B.J. Wyrick says in a statement to Sync. “So I expect a fun experience shopping there.”
WHAT ABOUT TRAFFIC?
Many metro drivers remember the backup and slow traffic that greeted the opening of Bass Pro in 2013, as well as the months following.
“I look forward to the opening next week,” Wyrick says. “The traffic will be an interesting development for that area. When the Bass Pro opened, traffic all directions were at a standstill trying to get to the grand opening.”
With the 2014 completion of Exit 128 off Interstate 430, which leads to the frontage road that runs past the Outlets and Bass Pro, the expectation is that traffic will run a bit more smoothly.
“It’s important to note that improvements at that interchange had nothing to do with the development there,” says Danny Straessle, public information officer with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. “We kept [businesses] in the loop because they are property owners, but we did that for all property owners.”
Straessle says the Outlets requested permits for portable message boards at each of the three exits that access the Outlets of Little Rock. He says the signs are requested to indicate that traffic will slow down at the exit.
Straessle says a study on the Interstate 30 corridor — which goes from the south terminal, where the exits to the airport and Pine Bluff are, to the service road in Benton — is currently underway. He says the department is currently in the process of counting traffic on the frontage roads to access the needs of the I-30 corridor.
“Things have worked out so that there’s no construction going on as they open their doors,” Straessle says.
Boyle says that before New England Development began work on the outlets, it took the vision of developer Tommy Hodges to plan the Gateway Town Center, the city of Little Rock to help finance public improvements around the site and expedite permits and approvals, and the Highway Department to improve the highways leading to the outlets.
THE DEVELOPER
New England Development has been in the real estate development and management business for more than 35 years. Its stated goal is to deliver and sustain successful projects across a wide range of property types across the country.
Boyle says New England Development’s first outlet project was the Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“This project was so successful, and we received such tremendous feedback from the outlet-store community that we began looking for additional sites to address the needs of retailers interested in new locations and the interest among customers for great value,” she says.
“As the state’s capital, Little Rock is an ideal location," Boyle continues. “Nearly 40 percent of the state’s population is within 60 miles of Outlets of Little Rock, and Pulaski County has a strong tourism industry, with 5.7 million visitors annually.”
Another plus is the proximity to Bass Pro. She says Bass Pro already draws strong traffic to the area and that the location at the intersection of Interstates 30 and 430 is easily accessible with helpful visibility for the estimated 95,000 cars that drive by the site daily. She says it is also 145 miles from any currently existing outlets.
“New England Development has long-standing relationships with retailers throughout the country and approached the large outlet community directly,” Boyle says. “We’re also fortunate to work with a great team at FFO Real Estate Advisors that works with us on leasing many of our outlet centers. We also worked with Intersection, a real estate firm that provided us with a lot of local knowledge.”
New England Development’s prior retail projects also includes an outlet center in Asheville, North Carolina. Projects in development include outlet centers in Altoona, Iowa; Clarksburg, Maryland; and Romulus, Michigan.
“There are several [stores] such as Uniq, Sweet and Sophitique,” Boyle says. “There are others that are unique to Arkansas.”
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The Outlets of Little Rock is expected to generate about $100 million in annual retail sales, which translates to $6.5 million in state sales taxes, $1 million in county taxes and $1.5 million in city taxes. It is also expected to employ approximately 800 to 1,000 people on-site, as well as another 180 indirectly as a result of purchases through the local supply chain to support the project. About 1,000 people were employed during the construction phase of the project.
“Employment opportunities and increased sales tax revenue are the two major impacts these outlets will have on my district,” says state Rep. Frederick Love, D-Little Rock, whose district encompasses the area where the complex is located. “First, there will be a plethora of job opportunities for young adults, as well as more mature adults. This not only improves the economic situation for many families but could have a major impact on the crime statistics as a result of economic opportunities, especially for a younger people.”
A job fair took place at the Benton Event Center on Sept. 10 for participating stores that are planning to open Friday.
Love says the Outlets will generate an abundance of tax revenue, which can be used for essential and quality-of-life services like parks and other programs to improve the community.
“The overall impact will be great, not only for my district but for the greater Little Rock area,” Love says. “When one part of the city does well, the entire city does well.”
“We in southwest are very excited to have this new shopping center in our area,” Wyrick says. “We have been looking for this to happen since the early ’70s. Tommy Hodges owned the property for all these years and has brought us a first-class shopping experience. It pays to keep trying as he did, bringing the Bass Pro Shop and now the outlet mall.”
The expectation for the Outlets’ impact is high.
“As Governor, I am always pleased to see the continued growth of businesses in Arkansas,” says Gov. Asa Hutchinson in a statement to Sync. “The expected 75 storefronts at the Outlets of Little Rock will support nearly 1,000 jobs in our state’s capital city. Nine of these stores will be new to our state, and we are excited to have them here. The opening of the Outlets will be good for the economy and the consumers of Arkansas. I look forward to visiting in the near future.”
OPENING WEEKEND
The “Open Doors. Open Hearts.” charity preview night runs from 5-9 p.m. Thursday. The event requires a $20 ticket, with all proceeds going to local charities. Tickets are available for purchase at outletsoflittle
rock.com.
On Friday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. at the southwest corner of the center, officially opening the Outlets of Little Rock to the public. There will be entertainment and door prizes throughout the day.
On Friday and Saturday, the outlets will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
On Sunday, the outlets will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It’s also Family Fun Day, which lasts from noon to 3 p.m. Family Fun Day will offer activities such as face painting, balloon art and character greetings for kids and their parents.
“We selected Little Rock due to many factors,” Boyle says. “Arkansas had no outlet center, and we wanted to develop a center that would serve the unmet needs of customers who wanted this type of shopping experience.”
LIST OF STORES
When the Outlets of Little Rock opens, shoppers will not only find stores for some of the most popular clothing brands, but also spots for dining, books and tools. There are still a handful of stores that won’t be opening Friday, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy, but with all the other options, their absence won’t be blaring.
CARDS, BOOKS AND GIFTS
Book Warehouse*
Go! Calendars, Games & Toys
Smyly’s Memorabilia
CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES
ASICS*
Brooks Brothers Factory Store*
Carter’s
Chico’s Outlet
Christopher & Banks | CJ Banks
Clarks Outlet
Cole Haan*
Corky’s Footwear Outlet
Dressbarn
Express Factory Outlet*
Famous Footwear Outlet*
Francesca’s
Gearhead Outfitters
G. H. Bass & Co. Factory Outlet*
Girlie Girl Originals*
Gymboree Outlet
Hot Topic
J. Crew | crewcuts Factory
Journeys
Kay Jewelers Outlet
Lane Bryant Outlet
Levi Outlet Store*
Lids
LOFT Outlet
Maurices
Osh Kosh B’gosh
Rack Room Shoes
Rue21
Skechers*
Sophitique
Sunglass Warehouse
The Children’s Place
Torrid
Under Armour*
Uniform Destination
Uniq
VF Outlet*
Wilsons Leather*
Zales Outlet
DINING/FOOD
Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon
Beef Jerky Outlet*
China Max
Johnny Rockets
Lindt Chocolate
Subway
Sweet Factory*
TCBY
Villa Italian Kitchen*
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
The Fragrance Outlet*
HOUSEWARES, TOOLS AND HOME FURNISHINGS
Direct Tools*
Kitchen Collection
Restoration Hardware Outlet*
OPENING AFTER OCT. 16
American Eagle Outfitters
Banana Republic Factory Store
GAP Factory Store
Nike Factory Store
Old Navy Outlet
Tommy Hilfiger
*First Arkansas store