Eagan braces for crush of traffic from new outlet mall

In less than four months in Eagan, bargain shoppers will be crowding the south metro's first major outlet mall for its nearly 100 brand-name stores with deals on shoes, purses and other goods.

So, with that in mind, the city is preparing for a crush of traffic.

Earlier this month, the city hired SRF Consulting Group for $33,000 to develop a "travel demand management plan" to address traffic issues that might pop up on opening day Aug. 14 and other high-volume, power-shopping times, such as Black Friday.

As city council member Cyndee Fields pointed out, the city is taking steps "to make sure the traffic isn't as outrageously crazy ... as it will be."

Some city officials point to reports of traffic tie-ups that occurred during the opening of an outlet mall in Livermore, Calif., in 2012. At the time, a Livermore police spokesman told the Contra Costa Times that the influx of cars created a "chaotic" situation, causing congestion on the highways near the shopping center.

Last month, to better prepare for the Eagan mall, four city staff members flew to Livermore to meet with city officials there and discuss firsthand traffic and public safety impacts and the lessons learned.

During the four-day trip, which was paid for by the Eagan Citizens Crime Prevention Association, Livermore officials "emphasized that it's going to be busy and that we should have a plan for it," Eagan City Administrator Dave Osberg said.

Plans could include predicting traffic volumes, ensuring proper access points for shoppers and public safety vehicles, and communicating with the Minnesota State Patrol and other state and county agencies, he said.

"When we were talking to the police, they said to expect major traffic delays," said Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald, who also made the trip. "It's going to be busy, and I don't think anyone is hiding from that."

The $100 million outlet mall, near Cedar Avenue and Sibley Memorial Highway/Minnesota 13, is expected to be a regional draw because it is close to the Mall of America and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, among other reasons.

It also will be the major outlet mall closest to the Twin Cities and the only one within the seven-county metro area. Albertville Premium Outlets and North Branch Outlets are in the fringes of the metro area.

Those expectations have Brent Cory and his staff at the Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau licking their chops.

"We're calling it our Disney World," said Cory, who is president and CEO of the visitors bureau. "We're absolutely rallying around it, and I think we'll be richly rewarded for it. It's great for everybody."

More than half of the bureau's estimated $900,000 budget for 2014 will go toward a separate marketing and outreach campaign tied directly to the outlet mall, which will be called Twin Cities Premium Outlets.

The effort focuses on what Cory calls the "drive-time market," or people who live within 12 hours of Eagan, by expanding the reach from five to 10 states and into Canada.

"Shopping represents the No. 1 driver for leisure travelers," Cory said.

The 409,000-square-foot mall is more than 90 percent full, according to mall co-owner and developer Paragon Outlet Partners.

Shops include brands that are harder to come by in the metro area, including the Movado watch company, True Religion jeans, Haggar men's and OshKosh kids. Apparel stores include outlet versions of retailers that already have several stores throughout the Twin Cities, such as White House-Black Market, Chico's and American Eagle Outfitters.

Footwear options include athletic and casual brands, such as Adidas, Asics, Converse and Skechers. Famous Footwear will join the lineup, as will the more upscale brand Cole Haan.

Kelvin Antill, Paragon's development partner, said his Baltimore-based company recently brought in mall giant Simon Property Group as a part owner of Twin Cities Premium Outlets. Its affiliate, Simon's Premium Outlets, which will operate the mall, owns or has interest in 65 centers in the U.S., including Albertville Premium Outlets.

In 2012, Paragon opened the Livermore outlet mall and one in Grand Prairie, Texas, before selling them outright to Simon that same year.

Two years ago, the city hired SRF Consulting to update a 2009 traffic analysis to determine traffic level changes for the outlet center.

The study concluded that "analyzed intersections are expected to perform at acceptable levels," according to the city's website, but also recommended some infrastructure improvements that are complete or in the works.

Public works director Russ Matthys said the travel-demand management plan might suggests things such as adjusting the timing at traffic signals or allowing left turns off Sibley Memorial Highway to run longer, which would avoid backups. The plan should be ready for the city council to review by mid-May.

"I think this (plan) is going to be the backbone of how we need to react," the city's police chief said. "And once we get that in place, I think we'll be able to provide more substance of what we're going to do."

Nick Ferraro can be reached at 651-228-2173. Follow him at twitter.com/NFerraroPiPress.

Reported by:  TWinCities.com