Construction on the new Tanger Outlets Savannah is on track, according to its chief developer, and new renderings give a better picture of what’s in store for the rapidly expanding retail landscape in Pooler.
“The construction is on schedule, and our goal is to open April 15, 2015, at 10 a.m.,” developer Ben Carter said Wednesday.
Work crews have been busy laying foundations, erecting frames and pouring concrete walls as the project starts to go vertical. The first phase of the project will include 400,000 square feet of retail space with 85 brand-name stores such as Polo, Michael Kors, J. Crew, Nike and Coach, among others.
The mall is being co-developed by Ben Carter with the Greensboro-based Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, a partnership announced at the beginning of this year.
Carter said they have 75 percent of the space leased with another 10 percent in negotiations. He said his goal is to open the mall with 95 percent leased or better.
The $200 million project could eventually expand to one million square feet with a second phase of construction and outparcel space available for development such as
a sporting goods store.
Although Bass Pro Shops has no plans to leave its current location at Savannah Mall, Carter said he is in serious negotiations with one of its major competitors as well as several name restaurants.
Architectural renderings released this week show what the finished product should look like, complete with a replica Tybee Island Lighthouse, bell tower and fountains.
As with his previous projects — including the Mall of Georgia in Gwinnett County and St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Fla. — Carter said he has taken design and architectural cues from the surrounding area.
“We have come up with architectural and landscape approaches to represent parts of Savannah,” he said. “So part of the project is reflective of the Historic District, and part is reflective of the coastal area.”
He said landscape materials will include native vegetation such as ocean grasses, palm trees and oak trees as well as planters, formal gardens and benches. He said everything from the building materials to color pallets to parking lot trees should be reminiscent of and authentic to Savannah.
“The objective is create a place that reminds them of areas of Savannah,” said Carter. “That’s vintage me, I always try to be respective of the community I build in.”
Carter said there will also be a children’s play area with a carousel, one-mile train ride loop and interactive fountains for kids to play in.
He said the open-air plan of the mall will take advantage of the region’s abundance of good weather while providing enough covered spaces to get out of the sun and rain.
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers owns and operates 44 outlet shopping centers in 26 states and Canada with their nearest location in Bluffton, S.C.
Carter’s portfolio includes four million square feet of retail projects with several more in the pipeline, including an outlet mall in Augusta and a $75 million plan to bring more retail stores to Savannah’s Broughton Street corridor through the acquisition of about 35 properties.