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THORNTON, Colo. — In our growing Colorado, the north metro area continues to see a development boom. On Thursday, the city of Thornton is celebrating the opening of the Denver Premium Outlets.
"Retail in the city of Thornton is very healthy and growing and that’s good news because in the state of Colorado you have to have sales tax — that’s what funds everything we do," said Todd Barnes, spokesperson for the city of Thornton.
Simon Property Group, which operates the Denver Premium Outlets, as well as Colorado Mills and Denver West Village shopping centers, chose Thornton largely because of the region's growth and access to I-25, said Simon Premium Oulets CEO Stephen Yalof.
"It's a great opportunity for us — tremendous amount of development, especially residential development," he said.
Denver Premium Outlets will open Thursday morning with 60 stores, including Coach Outlet, Michael Kors, Kate Spade New York, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, AǀX Armani Exchange, BOSS Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Under Armour, Vineyard Vines and more.
The company already has a location ready for a second phase on land adjacent to the property.
Opening weekend will include a number of special events, entertainment and promotions, including special deals and giveaways.
Kids can also enjoy a playground area at the north end of the mall that includes a 30-foot high climbing wall with a slide.
"We know our customers have plenty of places to shop, we know Denver is a place people want to get outside, so there are a lot of amenities that embrace that outdoor lifestyle," said Yalof.
City spokesman Barnes expects more businesses will continue to show interest in Thornton.
"Thornton is really a prime location, we’re close to the airport, we’re close to the Boulder Market and we’re only like 20 minutes from downtown Denver," he said.
As for the property being named after Denver?
"We’ve embraced the idea that the Denver Premium Outlets are in Thornton," said Barnes. "And we like it."
The following is a list of the stores at Denver Premium Outlets:
Aeropostale
American Eagle Outfitters
Ann Taylor Factory Store
Armani Exchange
ASICS
Banana Republic Factory Store
bare + BEAUTY
BOSS-Hugo Boss
Calvin Klein
Carter's
Charleys Philly Steaks
Christopher & Banks
Clarins Factory Store
Coach Outlet
Cole Haan Outlet
Coleman/Marmot
Columbia Factory Store
Converse
Crocs
Express Factory Outlet
Famous Footwear Outlet
Forever 21
Fragrance Outlet
G-Star RAW
Gap Outlet
GNC
Guess Factory
Helzberg Diamonds Outlet
Janie and Jack
Johnston & Murphy Factory Store
Journeys
kate spade new york
Kay Jewelers Outlet
Le Creuset Outlet
Levi's Outlet Store
LOFT Outlet
Lucky Brand Jeans
Mall Management Office
Merrell
Michael Kors Outlet
Movado Company Store
New Balance Factory Store
NIKE Factory Store
Old Navy
OshKosh B'Gosh
Perfumania
Play Area
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store
PUMA
Red Fox
Rise Pies
Skechers
Starbucks Coffee
Stir Fry 88
Sumo Sushi & Izakaya
Sunglass Hut
The Bounce Place
The Luggage Factory
Tommy Hilfiger
Top Dawg
Tory Burch
True Religion Outlet
Tumi
Under Armour
Uniform Destination
Vans Outlet
Vineyard Vines
Volcom
Wetzel's Pretzels
Wilsons Leather Outlet