Tanger buys Huntsville’s Bridge Street Town Centre for $193 million

Tanger buys Huntsville’s Bridge Street Town Centre for $193 million

Huntsville’s Bridge Street Town Centre, an upscale outdoor shopping district located in Cummings Research Park, has a new owner.

Tanger, a name frequently associated with popular discount outlet shopping centers, on Thursday announced the purchase for $193.5 million.

Bridge Street — an 825,000-square-foot property that includes more than 80 retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues — is one of north Alabama’s most popular shopping districts.

Tanger described the entity as an “open-air lifestyle center” and said it is the first such property in the Tanger portfolio.

“We continue to leverage the strength of our retail operating, leasing and marketing platforms to create value, both in the outlet channel and through selective investments in other complementary open-air retail destinations,” Stephen Yalof, president and CEO of Tanger, said in the announcement. “The addition of Bridge Street Town Centre is a natural extension of our capabilities and consistent with our long-term strategy of investing in dominant open-air retail centers in markets which benefit from outsized residential and tourism growth.”

What does the sale mean to shoppers?

According to the Tanger website, “our shoppers can expect access to best-in-class stores, events and programs.”

The Tanger website also said there are no plans to change the name of the shopping district.

Tanger Outlets operates 38 outlet centers across the country, including its only Alabama location in Foley.

The company said its TangerClub memberships used at its Outlet shopping centers may not be used at Bridge Street nor can Tanger Outlets gift cards be redeemed at Bridge Street.

Tanger said Bridge Street is at 93 percent occupancy.

Bridge Street has a “dynamic tenant mix that includes the market’s only Apple Store and top apparel, footwear and beauty brands including Lululemon, Sephora, Lovesac, Dry Goods, Victoria’s Secret, Athleta, Anthropologie, Altar’d State, and Ulta, as well as several larger format retailers including Barnes & Noble, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Old Navy, H&M, and Belk,” the announcement said. “The center offers over two dozen restaurants, from national favorites like Cheesecake Factory, Texas de Brazil, and Bravo! Italian Kitchen to regional and local offerings, serving the significant dedicated and transient employee and residential populations. Additionally, the center boasts entertainment venues such as Main Event and the 14-screen Cinemark Bridge Street and XD, the top producing theater in the state.”