Tanger Outlet Mall to build 80-store center in Grand Rapids suburb

[egrguy]

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/09/tanger_outlet_mall_to_build_80.html#incart_flyout_business

It makes me wonder what's going on by PF Changs if this place has 80% commitments before build so it gets fast tracked. This will keep a lot of people from going to Howell (my wife included) and this to me is another sign of GR showing signs of more growth.

[GR8scott]

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/09/tanger_outlet_mall_to_build_80.html#incart_flyout_business

It makes me wonder what's going on by PF Changs if this place has 80% commitments before build so it gets fast tracked. This will keep a lot of people from going to Howell (my wife included) and this to me is another sign of GR showing signs of more growth.

 

its different kind of stores but this does bring something new to the metro area and in the south part where theres been steady residential grwth but no real commercial until you get to Grandville. I haven't been to an outlet mall in a few years but I prefer the one in MI City cant remember the brand and the one in Howell seems so bland from the outside, I hope its not like that. 

[tamias6]

Hmmm looks like l won't have to go on the once a year road trip all the way to Birch Run to hit the outlet mall stores anymore.  

[jonathan.jam]

While I love the city (even though I still reside with my family in Byron), it is nice to see this development. Tanger will fill a void in the market here, and it will also help at least some teenagers in the Byron area get jobs that are not at McDonald's. Plus, the site was home to Dome World before, so at least this place won't get built on a total greenfield.

[joeDowntown]

All in all I think it is a good thing. More money staying in the local economy, more jobs, etc. And would anyone really want a sprawling outlet center in the core city? Where would everybody park. LOL.

 

Joe

[jonathan.jam]

...It just means people will complain about traffic in their 'small, quiet community' instead. lol   Oh, and the guy who is upset that Mlive called Byron Center/Township a suburb of Grand Rapids...

[RegalTDP]

This could be huge.  Outlet malls have failed elsewhere whenever towns build them as some sort of "get-rich-quick" scheme for their local economies.  I think in this case though, they've picked a pretty good strategic location.  I hope it works out.

 

I also hope it offers brands not currently sold in GR.  That would be interesting.

 

And yeah, if you're a Byron Center NIMBY (and let's face it, NIMBY is a big factor for moving out there in the first place), then this is absolutely your worst nightmare.  "Well, kids, pack your bags and saddle up, we're moving to Dorr..."

[GRDadof3]

...It just means people will complain about traffic in their 'small, quiet community' instead. lol   Oh, and the guy who is upset that Mlive called Byron Center/Township a suburb of Grand Rapids...

 

Huh? I can't possibly agonize through 104 comments on Mlive about an outlet mall, but someone said that Bryon Twp is not a suburb of Grand Rapids? Is it a suburb of Wayland? Suburb of Grandville? I'm confused.

[MJLO]

Trying to rationalize comments of mlive trolls is about as productive as trying to catch a puppy by throwing a live bee at it.

[jonathan.jam]

Since when has Byron Center been considered a suburb of GR?

 

I lived in Byron Center for 10 years. We were 15 min. from downtown.. of course, it's a suburb of GR. Never heard anyone question that before. 

 

I've lived in the area for 57 years, new one to me. Well, as long as they stay north of 100th street I don't really care.

 

well its not incorporated for some reason so its not really on the map its just a dwelling inside a township but has a large enough population of people who refer to it as the community where they live that I guess you could call it a suburb, but I think it should incorporate along with Comstock Park and maybe Cutlerville as dense enough to do so.

 

Been living in Byron Center for 57 years and quite frankly I couldn't care less if we are referred to as a suburb of Grand Rapids. With that mayor there are times I wish we weren't as close as we are. Plus, I think as far as incorporation most of us like our township just the way it is thanks.

 

Same person

...

Byron township seems a bit too far away to be considered a Grand Rapids suburb

 

^

These were some of the first comments posted, that's why I saw them. I don't usually bother reading the comments, but that and the Holland vs. Grand Rapids stuff really gave me a good laugh.

[jas49503]

 

I also hope it offers brands not currently sold in GR.  That would be interesting.

 

 

Unfortunately, they are not the same things that are sold in the regular retail locations. My wife used to work for Ann Taylor and the outlet stores received their own merchandise that were not sold in the Mall stores and were made to a lesser standard.  

 

You may be able to get something with a famous name on it but it is not the same thing and that is why it is less expensive.  I don't know if this is a little known secret or common knowledge but it is the reason why I don't understand why someone would make a special trip to an outlet mall and why I don't generally shop there.

[GRDadof3]

Unfortunately, they are not the same things that are sold in the regular retail locations. My wife used to work for Ann Taylor and the outlet stores received their own merchandise that were not sold in the Mall stores and were made to a lesser standard.  

 

You may be able to get something with a famous name on it but it is not the same thing and that is why it is less expensive.  I don't know if this is a little known secret or common knowledge but it is the reason why I don't understand why someone would make a special trip to an outlet mall and why I don't generally shop there.

 

You don't understand the woman's psyche then. It's all about the "hunt" for a deal. They love to tell each other how they got this "fabulous Coach bag that everyone else paid $400 for $100."

[RegalTDP]

Unfortunately, they are not the same things that are sold in the regular retail locations. My wife used to work for Ann Taylor and the outlet stores received their own merchandise that were not sold in the Mall stores and were made to a lesser standard.  

 

You may be able to get something with a famous name on it but it is not the same thing and that is why it is less expensive.  I don't know if this is a little known secret or common knowledge but it is the reason why I don't understand why someone would make a special trip to an outlet mall and why I don't generally shop there.

 

Yes, that is common knowledge.  Rock on, to each his own, all that jazz 

 

Okay, I'm used to the MLive nutters, but I've found the ambivalence on the Salon even more amusing.

[joeDowntown]

And I thought I was the only one! I hyperventilate when I read some of the posts on Salon. They're like Mlive trolls with  Master's degrees in Poetry and Philosophy. Eegads!

 

Joe

 

 

Okay, I'm used to the MLive nutters, but I've found the ambivalence on the Salon even more amusing.

[wingbert]

Huh? I can't possibly agonize through 104 comments on Mlive about an outlet mall, but someone said that Bryon Twp is not a suburb of Grand Rapids? Is it a suburb of Wayland? Suburb of Grandville? I'm confused.

 

That's because Grand Rapids is the crime-ridden suburb of Byron Center.

[GRDadof3]

That's because Grand Rapids is the crime-ridden suburb of Byron Center.

 

With "brown" and "gay" people. Eek.

[GR8scott]

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/09/why_tanger_outlet_mall_in_byro.html

 

The rendering looks very nice, I hope it looks nice from the outside and from the highway as well. I also hope Byron Township officials can pressure the developers into paying for the traffic light and upgrades to Byron Commerce Dr. I can also see a need to upgrade 131 for one mile from the 76th st interchange through the 84th st interchange widening it for 3 lanes through lanes and a weave/merge lane in each direction, plus a barrier and lighting and hopefully paint the bridge so it matches and fits it. 

[gvsusean]

what if they made all of those building 3 or 4 stories instead of one and put in all residential. would that be better or worse?

[fotoman311]

I can also see a need to upgrade 131 for one mile from the 76th st interchange through the 84th st interchange widening it for 3 lanes through lanes and a weave/merge lane in each direction, plus a barrier and lighting and hopefully paint the bridge so it matches and fits it.

 

Seriously?  How many years of property/retail sales taxes would it take to recoup that expenditure?  It cost MDOT ~$3.5 million (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/mdot_to_widen_part_of_us_131_i.html <-see last paragraph, $7 mill split between weave/merge and bridge repairs) to add an unnecessary weave/merge lane to one side of 131 between Leonard and Ann.

 

Not that property taxes pay for interstates, but taxpayers should see some sort of return for spending that money, right?  Otherwise it's just a subsidy to the developer of the strip mall and the inevitable other junk stripmalls that will follow.

[GR8scott]

Seriously?  How many years of property/retail sales taxes would it take to recoup that expenditure?  It cost MDOT ~$3.5 million (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/mdot_to_widen_part_of_us_131_i.html <-see last paragraph, $7 mill split between weave/merge and bridge repairs) to add an unnecessary weave/merge lane to one side of 131 between Leonard and Ann.

 

Not that property taxes pay for interstates, but taxpayers should see some sort of return for spending that money, right?  Otherwise it's just a subsidy to the developer of the strip mall and the inevitable other junk stripmalls that will follow.

 

Yea seriously, theres a big difference between this stretch of wide right-of-way, grassy median project that would have made sense to include in the m6 interchange project a few years back and an elevated urban corridor that includes 3 aging bridges (big expense). I suggested that the developer be responsible for some of the needed infrastructure improvements, nothing new for large projects. Its already a mini bottleneck in this area and adding 1000 jobs and thousands more visitors daily will add traffic to that mile stretch, face it, it will need to be widened at some point, this makes sense 

[fotoman311]

Yea seriously, theres a big difference between this stretch of wide right-of-way, grassy median project that would have made sense to include in the m6 interchange project a few years back and an elevated urban corridor that includes 3 aging bridges (big expense). I suggested that the developer be responsible for some of the needed infrastructure improvements, nothing new for large projects. Its already a mini bottleneck in this area and adding 1000 jobs and thousands more visitors daily will add traffic to that mile stretch, face it, it will need to be widened at some point, this makes sense 

 

And since when has adding lanes reduced congestion in the long term???  It just encourages more traffic.  And even if the developer pays for part of the upfront costs, it creates further maintenance expense 10-40 years down the road.  It will need to be widened at some point is simply a false statement and primarily due to poor regional land-use planning.  It's not sustainable for the long term because the ROI does not justify the expense.

[Raildudes dad]

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/09/why_tanger_outlet_mall_in_byro.html

 

The rendering looks very nice, I hope it looks nice from the outside and from the highway as well. I also hope Byron Township officials can pressure the developers into paying for the traffic light and upgrades to Byron Commerce Dr. I can also see a need to upgrade 131 for one mile from the 76th st interchange through the 84th st interchange widening it for 3 lanes through lanes and a weave/merge lane in each direction, plus a barrier and lighting and hopefully paint the bridge so it matches and fits it. 

 

 

If the developer chooses to contribute to offsite road improvements is one thing but the township in this case, road commission or MDOT cannot require them to pay. That's illegal in this state.

[metrogrkid]

U.S. 131 X-Way from the Outlet Mall/84th Street to the Gun Lake Casino/Martin Motorspeed Park area is going to be the corridor to watch (AND to fully widen to six lanes).  The possibilities are incredible for this whole southland area . . . .

[GRDadof3]

U.S. 131 X-Way from the Outlet Mall/84th Street to the Gun Lake Casino/Martin Motorspeed Park area is going to be the corridor to watch (AND to fully widen to six lanes).  The possibilities are incredible for this whole southland area . . . .

 

 

Oooh, how.... exciting. smdh.

[metrogrkid]

Oooh, how.... exciting. smdh.

 

Dad:

 

Snarkyism?  Really?  So disappointed if so.  Please know that no excitement was inferred in my related earlier post.  Simply stating a trueism about that corridor.  Peace, respect and good dialogue to you nonetheless . . . .