Yet Another New Outlet Mall (Again) (Houston, Austin: sale, how much, home)

[DANNYY]

**THIS JUST IN WITHIN THE HOUR**
Well earlier this week they announced a new Outlet Mall for Texas City. Now League City is also getting one too. Within the same week, yet ANOTHER new outlet mall for the Houston Metropolitan Area.

http://galvestondailynews.com/photos/2011.January/0118_loc_tangeroutlet.jpg (broken link)
Excerpt from article:

LEAGUE CITY — In what might be the starting gun of a fierce retail race, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers said Monday it planned a 95-store outlet mall near Interstate 45 and FM 646 in League City.

The Greensboro, N.C.-based company said it planned to build the 300,743-square-foot mall on 35 acres west of Interstate 45 between the city’s Big League Dreams sports complex and the Bay Colony shopping center.

The announcement confirming weeks of speculation came just days after another major outlet mall operator — Indianapolis, Ind.-based Simon Property Group — said it planned a 350,000-square-foot center along Interstate 45, south of Holland Road.

Neither Simon nor Tanger officials would comment about whether the county could sustain two major outlet malls, nor would either divulge possible tenants.

Source: 95-store outlet mall planned for League City (http://galvestondailynews.com/story/205258/ - broken link)

Well looks like this area is now getting 2 Outlet Malls. Awesomeness for this area. I'm more hyped for it because I really do appreciate new things, and new things come from population gains from successful markets. Props Houston, props!

[jfre81]

I wish I shared your enthusiasm about this.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by jfre81

I wish I shared your enthusiasm about this.

I'm just going to come right out and say it, anything Houston related gets me exceptionally excited. I just really really love home a lot. When I'm here in Austin during school, I just want to be back home sometimes even though I like Austin a lot too, I really do miss Houston a lot. Or when I am in Chicago or Washington DC, I really just want to be back despite how much I like those cities also.

There really is no place like home, and I really love Houston a lot, anything and almost everything about it. I just hate how I don't get to spend as much time there as I want too.

[jfre81]

That's cool and all, but that doesn't really explain why Galveston County needs three outlet malls on 45.

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by jfre81

That's cool and all, but that doesn't really explain why Galveston County needs three outlet malls on 45.

No idea actually. I do see some concerns but I also see a few benefits.

Concerns:
- Tenants, can they get enough stores to be tenants? I cant even think of 95 stores personally and that's just one Outlet Mall, the other one will have around the same amount. I guess some stores will overlap and end up in both
- What the demand & support looks like in Galveston County (Outlet Malls are untested there)
- What will traffic look like on I-45 with Two new Outlet Shopping Centers being built there, cant say that situation looks good for rush hour

Benefits:
- Rakes in jobs, don't care what kind really, just brings in employment to a county that is entirely dependent on Harris County as an employment center
- Brings in more variety for shopping, possibly leads away to more developments of other sorts (kind of like San Marcos).
- Leads a more proactive and outdoor (semi-outdoor) shopping style, rather than an enclosed mall
- Will likely sharpen up a bit of the tourism in the area from surrounding cities and counties
- Will likely create a surge in retail sale increases of the area

[jfre81]

Galveston County is entirely dependent on Harris County for employment? I should go share that news with everyone who works in Texas City at the refineries, or are contractors with them.

[DanielWayne]

I'm wondering if this is somehow related to an attempt to draw in more tourism to the area. Kemah Boardwalk and shops, JSC, and 3 outlet malls (if the one in Lamarque survives) would actually be a nice tourist draw for people from other parts of the state. This would be really cool if they also resurrected those old River Market plans for League City.

But yeah, is there really a demand to support this?

[DANNYY]

Originally Posted by jfre81

Galveston County is entirely dependent on Harris County for employment? I should go share that news with everyone who works in Texas City at the refineries, or are contractors with them.

Almost as such, 59% of Galveston County residents commute to Harris County for work as of 2008. It was 46% in 2004, which I guess can be attributed to Hurricane Rita and then Hurricane Ike.

[jfre81]

Not surprising given the growth of the north county (mostly League City) and its ties to NASA.

There are enough low level retail jobs in the county as it is. All this and the other one will do is kill off what's left of the outlet mall in La Marque and Mall of the Mainland. Zero sum game here. The developers win though.

[Trae713]

With this new announcement, the mall in League City is going to really hurt the one in Texas City.