May 19, 2008

New reason to shop until you drop — updated plazaBy Mark ChediakOrlandoSentinel.com

After nearly two years of demolition, construction and soft store openings, Orlando’s Prime Outlets-International is finally ready for prime time.

The outlet center on the north end of International Drive will officially unveil itself to the public Memorial Day weekend. Shoppers who haven’t visited the center recently will find that a formerly sprawling mix of time-worn strip centers has been transformed into a massive, Mediterranean-style open air shopping plaza.

Prime Retail Inc., the Baltimore-based owner of the outlet center, poured about $300 million into redeveloping the property, formerly called the Belz Factory Outlet Mall. The center was also expanded to 778,000 square feet and includes 175 stores, making it the largest outlet mall in the Southeast and the second largest in the country. It features one of two Victoria’s Secret outlets in the country (which will open Friday) and the only Neiman Marcus Last Call in Central Florida.

The mall’s owners say the makeover allowed them to attract a slew of higher-end outlets, upgrading the center’s retail mix. New names such as Juicy Couture, Hugo Boss, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Sean Jean should also help Prime Outlets compete with the Orlando Premium Outlets near Lake Buena Vista.

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