Fashion Outlets look to add 50 stores

NIAGARA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara wants to expand and add 50 new shops.

The mall's ownership is proposing a $71 million expansion, that would make it one of the largest employers in the Town of Niagara.

Town Supervisor Steven Richards said, "Our area has begun a turnaround. And I think if we can build on this, and learn to actively pursue businesses, it's light at the end of the tunnel. I can build off of this, in the rest of my town."

The expansion will create 612 new jobs inside the mall and the Town of Niagara; opportunities for everyone from full-time working adults, to students putting themselves through college.

"The misconception is always, 'Retail doesn't pay any money.' But if you talk to anybody that are managers, or assistant managers, or full-time employees, they make good money," Richards said, "And part-time jobs, there's nothing wrong with part-time jobs. We still have a lot of students that need work, and a lot of people supplementing their income."

Those figures don't include the approximately 925 construction jobs the build-out will generate. Expanding the mall will also bring in more sales tax for Niagara County - as much as $14 million.

Tourism is now the dominant part of Niagara's economy, and this project is seen as having big appeal for out-of-town visitors. Already, 82 percent of the Fashion Outlets' revenue comes from Canadians.

Richards said, "It's our future, obviously. People don't realize, this is the second-biggest draw in Niagara County, after the Falls themselves."

The expansion will include 50 stores and has a target opening of Fall 2014. Richards told News 4, Macerich, which owns the mall, already has tenants for close to 90 percent of the new space.

Over the next couple of weeks, detailed plans will be presented to the Town of Niagara's IDA, planning and zoning boards. A public hearing is scheduled for March 13 at 2:30 PM in Niagara Town Hall.