Helzberg Jewelry Outlet

A Coach factory store and a Michael Kors outlet store will join the retail lineup at the new Nebraska Crossing Outlets mall in Gretna.

Over the growl of forklifts and front loaders Friday, the mall's developers unveiled the names of a half-dozen new retail tenants, including Coach, which offers women's handbags and accessories, and Michael Kors, whose women's apparel and accessories are designed by the store's namesake.

We'll be opening Nov. 15 with 65 stores, said Rod Yates of Arizona-based OTB Destination. Yates is developing the 350,000-square-foot mall in partnership with the mall's majority owner, Frank Krejci of Omaha's Century Development.

There will be something for everyone when we open, Yates said, referring to the mix of retail brands at Nebraska Crossing Outlets.

Shoppers searching for bread and butter clothing options for adults and children or athletic wear will find them, he said.

Shoppers seeking designer clothing and accessories or jewelry will also have a wide selection of brands, Yates said.

So far, at least 30 tenants have signed leases. They include American Eagle, Brooks Brothers, Chico's, Gymboree, Helzberg Jewelry, Polo Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor Loft, J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, White House Black Market and Scooter's Coffee. Carter's and OshKosh also will be back. Adidas and Swarovski were advertising for jobs at the mall last month.

The $112 million shopping center, located at the intersection of Interstate 80 and U.S. Highways 6 and 31, was designed by Avant Architects and is being built by Kiewit Building Group, both of Omaha.

More than 300 workers are currently on-site, erecting walls, finishing exteriors and interiors, painting, wiring and installing window glass.

The mall will feature software that interacts with customers and eventually more than 70 outlet and factory stores.

A lot of these stores don't have a presence in Nebraska, and they view this outlet mall as an opportunity to enter the market, Yates said.
The new pedestrian-friendly mall, which will have an oval racetrack configuration, will allow retailers to cluster near one another. The former 170,000-square-foot mall was built in 1993 as a quarter-mile strip, a design that did not appeal to prospective retailers. It was demolished earlier this year.

The new mall €is really going to put Gretna on the map, said Norm Lies, who was visiting the site Friday. Lies said he is considering opening a restaurant at the mall.

Along Interstate 80, five 50-foot-tall digital pylons that will advertise the mall are now in place. Two other pylons will greet motorists traveling on Highway 31.

The mall, which is expected to draw visitors from a 150-mile radius, will have parking for 1,600 vehicles. Mall hours are expected to be 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, Yates said.

The City of Gretna, which is responsible for several mall-related public works projects, recently tapped Omaha-based MBC Construction Co. Inc. to repave and reconstruct Melia Road and create a new Nebraska Crossing Drive.


The city capped its direct financial involvement at $4.1 million but will allow developers the chance to qualify for an additional $57 million in tax-increment financing and other tax incentives.