Will an Outlet Mall Come to Central Ohio? Ask Robert Weiler, the Expert

Robert Weiler comments on The Columbus Dispatch’s report that the Glimcher Realty Trust has joined the growing list of developers hoping to build an outlet mall in Central Ohio. This is the fourth proposal for an outlet mall in the region, but experts say it is likely that only one will be built; and that the ultimate winner will be the developer that signs up the most important anchor retailers. Glimcher officials declined to answer questions about the potential outlet mall project in Madison County, but they issued a statement…

It said the company keeps “a robust pipeline of potential acquisitions and development opportunities, should we find the right location, the right pricing and the right interest from our retail partners, we would love the opportunity to grow our portfolio and expand the outlet collection.” The three other proposals include two near the I-71 and Rts. 36/37 interchange in Delaware County and one in New Albany, on Beech Road, just north of Rt. 161.“It’s a great question whether any of them will actually be built,” said local developer Robert Weiler, Chairman of The Robert Weiler Company. He has reason to be interested in which project actually comes to fruition. Weiler and Nationwide Realty Investors have about 2,000 acres north of the I-71 and Rts. 36/37 interchange for their mixed-use Northstar project. About 350 acres are zoned for commercial use, and the remainder are zoned for residential units, Weiler mentioned. He said that project will be built in stages, regardless of whether their outlet mall proposal comes to pass. “The tenants are the ones who will drive this,” Weiler said of the major outlet retailers, such as Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, and Nike. “I know they need 8 to 10 of the important players to form a nucleus, and then the smaller ones will fall into place once they know for sure where the outlet mall is going.”