Fashion Outlets' economic impact is felt throughout Niagara County

For more than three decades it has dominated the retail landscape of the Niagara region.

Sitting on roughly 74 acres of Military Road real estate in the Town of Niagara, the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA is now a 700,000 square foot behemoth that houses more than 200 stores. It’s development has changed the landscape of the once sleepy town.

"A lot of people would say (change) for the better and some not for the better," Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace said. "Progress sometimes causes (traffic congestion and other land use problems), but it puts a lot of people to work. They have been good neighbors to us."

Wallace also notes that the mall has been a virtual cash machine for sales tax revenues to the town and Niagara County.

"It is the single highest sales tax generator in the county," he said. "Without those sales taxes, a lot of the towns (in Niagara County) would be hurting."

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Even the mall’s owner/operator, Macerich, touts its economic impact. The recent addition of more than 200,000 square feet of space and the opening of another 35 stores in 2014 wasn’t described in corporate communications as an expansion.

Macerich called it a "redevelopment" of the property.

"It’s not just an expansion, it’s a redevelopment of the whole project," said Marji Aron, corporate designer for Macerich. "It’s like a beautiful piece of jewelry, inside and out."

The mall is one of the largest of its kind in the United States.

While it features a mix of well known national retailers, the mall also houses a fair of share of local businesses as well.

D’Avolio’s Olive Oil, Vinegars and More, grew from its original Lewiston location into a space next to national brand Forever 21.

"That’s what I love about it, being a home grown store with all these national chains," said co-owner Stacy Gagliardo. "It’s so wonderful to see all the growth happening in Niagara Falls."

It is facing a bit of competition these days.

In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., the Outlet Collection at Niagara, built for an estimated $162 million, includes more than 100 stores opened last summer within the shadows of the Garden City Skyway south of the Welland Canal, on the former site of a harness racing track.

Unlike many other malls, each of the Outlet Collection stores and shops have their own entrances linked by partially covered walkways.

On this side of the border, though, the Fashion Outlets of Niagara USA expansion event has given local tourism officials another "attraction" to market.

"The expansion is giving us more product to market," said Michelle Blackley, a spokesperson for the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. "We promote (the mall), especially to our Canadian visitors. Shopping is a large part of why they come across the border."

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