DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dozens of stores opened their doors Friday as part of the grand opening of the first outlet mall in Volusia County.
Built on a plot of land near I-95 and LPGA Boulevard, the Daytona Beach Tanger Outlets mall includes more than 75 brand-name and designer retailers, some of which are new to the area.
Until now, the closest outlet malls were in St. Augustine and Orlando.
"We just felt there was a great need for a first-in-class shopping center and this is the perfect area to be," general manager Steve Sadove said.
Designers of the outlet mall hope to draw in thousands of shoppers every day to the 10-building complex.
As someone who frequently visits the Daytona Beach area, Lakeland resident Patsy Castles said the opening is a welcome sight.
"I-4 is very crowded I'd much rather enjoy the sunshine, the beach and everything Daytona has to offer," Castles said.
Tanger officials said the new outlet mall has also brought an economic boost to the region.
"We have an additional 1,000 full-time jobs that we expect by this holiday season, so it's a tremendous impact to the area," Sadove said.
Local leaders said the impact extends into the future. The 350,000-square-foot mall is the first part of what will be a larger development.
The 235-acre Tomoka Town Center will bring a Sam's Club store, restaurants and possibly hotels to the area.
"We've got a big box store which there's a rumor they're thinking about coming in," Volusia County Chairman Jason Davis said. "This is going to be a major economic driving force here in Volusia County."
Tanger Outlets Daytona Beach is located at 1100 Cornerstone Blvd. The mall is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.