Edinburgh Premium Outlets is upgrading several areas of the 30-year-old mall.
The upgrades, which have been in the planning stages for more than two years, were unanimously approved Thursday by the Edinburgh/Bartholomew/Columbus Joint District Plan Commission.
Simon Premium Malls, which owns the property, has been working with Ben Houle, owner of Landworx Engineering of Indianapolis, to develop the plans.
One of the most noticeable changes approved for the 30-year-old outlet mall will be at the main entrance, located between the Jockey and Polo/Ralph Lauren shops, said local planner Ashley Beckort.
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An archway-style sign with the words “Edinburgh Premium Outlets” will be placed between the two stores on the southwest side of the complex to give shoppers a sense of arrival, said John Dionis, Vice-President of Development for Simon Premium Malls.
At that same location, the facades on the top of the two buildings will be made to appear more ornate, which will require nearby stores to install updated signage, Dionis said.
Current plans also call for developing two new plaza areas.
On the southwest side of the complex, developers want to install an outdoor garden area with cafe-style seating, as well as up to four food trucks, Beckort said.
A more elaborate upgrade is being planned on the southeast corner of the complex.
In that area, developers want to add a new playground, as well as cafe seating with umbrellas for shade, that will all be visible from Interstate 65, Houle said. hat area, which currently serves as a landscaped parking area, will also have room for food trucks, he said.
Benches will be installed with wooden overhangs to provide shade in or near the plaza areas, Dionis said.
To accommodate the upgrades, much of the existing landscaping and some parking spaces will have to either be moved or eliminated, Houle said.
While the proposal calls for two new food truck plazas, there are already other areas of the outlet mall that have been approved for the cuisine-carrying vehicles, outlet manager Heather Little said.
By having maximum locations, the outlet malls will have the flexibility to park the food trucks wherever crowds are most likely to gather for special activities or events, Little said.
When questioned by commission members, Little said she has heard no objections regarding the food trucks from neighboring restaurants.
Contrary to many malls and retail outlets, business at the Edinburgh Premium Outlets has been quite brisk, Little said. Seventy two of the 74 stores are occupied by tenants, she said.
Houle said upgrades are important in keeping regular customers coming back.
Following the commission meeting, Dionis stressed architects are still working on the upgrades, so current renderings of planned improvements may become outdated.
During conversations, plan commission members reminded Dionis that the original owners had promised development of an area just north of the outlet mall that remains untouched today.
Although that commitment was made before Simon Premium Malls purchased the complex in 2004, Dionis said his company plans to submit a new proposal for the undeveloped portion of property by August.
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Edinburgh Premium Outlets, which opened in 1989 and has been owned by Simon Property Group since 2004, has 72 tenants.
Stores at the mall, at the U.S. 31 exit of Interstate 65, include national clothing retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale, Christopher and Banks, The Gap, Eddie Bauer and Old Navy; footwear brands such as adidas, Nike and Crocs; and accessory outlets such as Vera Bradley, as well as other types of retailers.
Information: premiumoutlets.com/outlet/edinburgh
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