Construction underway on outlet mall at Westgate

GLENDALE, Ariz -- The Westgate City Center in Glendale is about to get a new neighbor.

Bulldozers are hard at work at what is now an empty lot at the Loop 101 and Glendale Avenue.

"What's going to be out here is a regional outlet mall. It's going to have 85 retail stores and a few restaurants," says Glendale Planning Director John Froke. "The stores are basically what you'd find at outlet stores, primarily apparel-related retail."

It's the new Tanger Factor Outlet Center. Froke says the 328,000 square foot center that's in the shadow of University of Phoenix Stadium will be an employment boost to the West Valley.

"We're looking to 700 to 800 construction jobs while the site is under construction," Froke says. "Tanger has announced that permanent jobs will be around 900 if you include both full-time and part-time jobs once the outlet mall opens up."

Froke says the new outlet mall is an example of how things are looking up at Westgate.

"The ownership issues are being resolved overall with Westgate," Froke say. "We're seeing some new investment in the core of Westgate with the two new owners. There's some improvements that are going to be made from a landscaping and a signage standpoint that we're really excited about."

Froke says the outlet mall is a "perfect fit" for Westgate.

Tanger will announce next month which stores will be at the center, which is expected to open in time for Christmas.