R.K. Getty Plans Renovation, Expansion of Outlet Center

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CENTRALIA, WA-R.K. Getty Corp., the Tacoma, WA-based owner of the Centralia Factory Outlets here says it will renovate and expand the 202,000-sf center in an effort to get travelers on Interstate 5 to spend more time there. The news comes one week after a larger center, Seattle Premium Outlets, opened 30 miles north of Seattle–50 miles closer to the city than Centralia Factory Outlets, which lies about 80 miles to the south.Planned upgrades at Centralia Factory Outlets include a new courtyard with seating, a fountain, and an internet café and lounge for visitors. Architectural renovations will include converting one existing building that was set up as an enclosed mall into 25,000 sf of new retail suites with exterior storefronts. Upgraded restroom facilities, lighting and signage improvements also are planned for the center. R.K. Getty’s director of real estate Sandra Smith was not available Wednesday to provide further detail, in part because she was busy checking out her competition. In a prepared statement, she says she hopes to extend the time travelers spend shopping during their trip “by incorporating some of the latest lifestyle trends in retail development, as well as adding restaurants and service.”In addition, R.K. Getty is planning a marketing and leasing plan that focuses on attracting women shoppers from the local market and improving the tenant mix to appeal to the international tourist market. To make it happen, R.K. Getty has hired The Prism Company, Inc., which specializes in the factory outlet industry.”The center has a strong core tenancy of nationally-known tenants whose sales have grown steadily over the past 10 years in this market,” says Prism president Janet Grady. “We plan to bring in new tenants who will serve the trade area, improve the restaurant mix, and bring the amenities, signage, landscaping and common area furnishings up to state-of-the-art.”Centralia Factory Outlets is located on both sides of Exit 82 from I-5, which is about halfway between Seattle and Portland. The average daily traffic count at Exit 82 is 64,000 cars. Renae Johnson, marketing and property manager for the center, recently completed a yearlong campaign targeting local and state officials that led to the renaming and signing of Exit 82 as Factory Outlet Way. “This added exposure and directional advertising on the Interstate has been very valuable to the center in increased traffic and sales,” she says.The 202,000-sf center has about 30 brand name outlet stores. Those stores include Levi’s Outlet, Quiksilver, Pfaltzgraff Outlet, Kitchen Collection, Farberware, Casual Corner Outlet, Easy Spirit, Dress Barn/Dress Barn Woman Outlet, L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex, Van Heusen and G. H. Bass Outlet. Its competition, the 500,000-sf Seattle Premium Outlets, boasts 100 stores and touts itself as “Washington’s most upscale center.” A development of Chelsea Property Group, which is now a division of Simon Property Group, the center is located within the Tulalip Tribes’ 495-acre business park, Quil Ceda Village, which is also home to the 227,000-sf Tulalip Casino. Retailers at Seattle Premium Outlets include Adidas, Adrienne Vittadini, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Crabtree & Evelyn, Coach, Gap, Guess, Izod, J.Crew, Le Creuset, Mikasa, Movado, Nike, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Sony, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tumi.