Tanger Outlets Ottawa a hit despite open-day jitters
Janet Wilson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: October 17, 2014, Last Updated: October 17, 2014 7:28 PM EDT
Build it and they will come — and they did by the thousands.
Despite extreme traffic woes and overflowing washrooms, shoppers galore of every age — many of whom admitted to taking the day off work — came out Friday to get the first glimpse of Tanger Outlets in Kanata.
The city warned Ottawans of further “significant delays” in traffic for the area this weekend. Those heading to Saturday night’s hockey game at Canadian Tire Centre are being urged to take public transit, if possible.
“We heard the highway was really backed up,” chuckled Steve Tanger, president and CEO of Tanger, which is headquartered in North Carolina. “We’re sorry but pleased that Ottawa is coming to visit us.”
The opening of the mall, a 75-store complex featuring such designer brands as Coach, Michael Kors, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Under Armour, J.Crew Factory, Eddie Bauer and Guess, was not without its growing pains.
The westbound Queensway was backed up mid-morning for several hours with some shoppers from Orléans saying the commute was more than two hours. When the parking lot was full, traffic was re-routed to Canadian Tire Centre, where people hopped on shuttle buses or opted to walk. Overflowing toilets in one of the designated washroom areas caused a few nearby stores to close their doors temporarily due to foul odours and a seepage of sewage.
Sales staff stood outside the Ottawa Senators outlet store while maintenance workers attempted to repair the leak. They later tweeted that the store was open once again for business.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson wasn’t impressed to be tied up in highway traffic while rushing to Friday’s opening ceremonies. He called the experience a frustrating one and added that his office had reached out to provincial Transport Minister Steven Del Duca to inquire about ongoing construction on the Queensway.
“I’ve gone by Highway 417 a dozen times in the last month and I rarely see any work being done, yet that one lane is being blocked off,” Watson said. “I’m frustrated by it. I just want to find out directly from the minister why this project seems to be taking so long.”
“Yes, we are experiencing some small growing pains,” admitted Eric Topolnisky, general manager of RioCan Management and Tanger Outlets Ottawa. “We’re still getting things up and running but we’re more than pleased with the turnout and volume of people walking around with shopping bags.”
Jennifer Fornelli, an avid outlet shopper who takes regular trips south of the border in search of bargains with her mother, Donna, shrugged off the long wait to get into the mall.
“It’s opening day; we’re typical Canadians: We line up to see what’s inside without complaining. A lot of the stores were experiencing technical difficulties with debit machine problems, too. But it’s great to see these stores in Ottawa.”
Well-dressed teenagers, moms pushing baby strollers and seniors walked around the pedestrian-friendly complex, which also featured relaxation areas with bright red wooden chairs and outdoor fireplaces and a small food court.
The opening festivities for the 293,000-square-foot centre were to include fireworks Friday and a skating performance by Canadian Olympic medallists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir at noon Saturday at a temporary artificial ice rink set up in the parking lot next to a climbing wall and several food trucks.
During the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, a $20,000 donation was made to the Ottawa Senators Foundation on behalf of Tanger and RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...en-day-jitters
Prev
Linear Mode
