This is one of the first renderings of the Tanger Outlets at National Harbor. This image was first published on a blog by Taylor Chess, senior vice president of retail, on The Peterson Cos website.

Published on: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

By Ashley S. Westerman

National Harbor has been the subject of recent controversy surrounding the proposed Tanger Outlet project.

Tanger Outlet was granted preliminary approval by the Prince George’s County Planning Board on Jan. 12 despite residents’ concerns about traffic and the preservation of the historic Oxon Hill Manor.

Plans for the 460,000 square-foot development promise Prince George’s County residents and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area high-end retail, job opportunities and a number of both economic and residential benefits.

Today, National Harbor offers 250,000 square-feet of retail space and 90 percent of it is occupied, said National Harbor Vice President and Director of Marketing Rocell Viniard.

“We focus a lot on unique boutique retailers at National Harbor in addition to our restaurant selection,” Viniard said.

With about 20 on-site restaurants including Potbellies, Old Hickory Steakhouse and Fiorella Trattoria Pizzeria, there are restaurants that satisfy every pallet and every wallet, said Viniard.

Last November, the same month a deal with the Walt Disney Company for a 15-acre resort was tabled, National Harbor owners The Peterson Cos unveiled plans to develop more than 12,000 square-feet of new retail and restaurants.

When asked about the lack of accessibility to National Harbor via Metro, Viniard said there are future plans to extend the proposed light-rail Purple Line to National Harbor.

“This is a priority for both the county and the state to make this happen,” she said. “There will eventually be direct access in the future.”

National Harbor is not just a tourist destination, Viniard said. About 50 percent of the people who come to visit National Harbor are tourists and the other 50 percent are residents of the D.C. metro area, she said.

“The National Harbor has a unique experience for everyone, from small kids to seniors, and we have the best sunset anywhere in the region,” she said. “If you just want to stroll and enjoy being out on the waterfront, you can do that, and you can’t get an experience like that anywhere else.”

As National Harbor continues to develop every year, Viniard said the Tanger Outlets will be “very complimentary” to the businesses there now.

Aubrey Thagard, Prince George’s County Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Economic Development, says the Tanger outlets will bring some much needed retail to Prince George’s County.

This retail “will not only serve (Prince George’s) County but also the metro region and beyond because tourists will come out to Tanger,” Thagard said.

Fear of more traffic congestion is one of the main concerns for county residents, but Thagard said traffic issues were in existence prior to the Tanger Outlet proposal.

“The planning board would not have approved the plan if these measures weren’t taken into consideration,” Thagard said, adding that the county is very interested in mitigating some of those traffic issues if possible.

The Tanger Outlet project, Thagard said, fits into the plans of making National Harbor a destination in the county.

“When it opens in 2012, Tanger outlets at National Harbor will represent the best our industry has to offer in terms of retail brands at value prices, first-class shopping environments and unparalleled regional access,” said Taylor Chess, senior vice president of retail for Peterson Cos, in a blog post which debuted the first renderings of the development. “We also believe it will be a model for future developments throughout the country.”