Outlets Of Des Moines Workers Prepare To Welcome First Guests At Charity Event Thursday Night

ALTOONA, IA — At the new Outlets of Des Moines, workers are putting the finishing touches on stores, landscaping, signs and all the features that will help the newest property at the Shoppes at Prairie Crossing welcome guests when the doors open Friday to the public. But work has to wrap up by midday Thursday because the mall will hold a soft opening, the charity event "Open Doors Open Hearts," from 5 to 9 p.m. that night.

On Tuesday that led to a flurry of activity everywhere. Office supplies arrived at the mall management office. Employees inside many of the three dozen stores dressed mannequins, unpacked boxes, filled shelves and learned to run cash registers. Landscapers planted and watered 1,500 mum plants, plus greenery and native plants in more than three dozen beds across the property. Beeline + Blue employees applied artistic window coverings to dress up empty storefronts.

And Laura Palmer painted.

Palmer, an artist and illustrator from Des Moines, is creating one of two temporary murals located at the outlet mall. She started the project just two days ago and was adding the first splashes of color to outlined black designs on Tuesday afternoon.

But she will have help to finish the project: The mural is an interactive project that shoppers can work on during Thursday night’s event and at Friday’s grand opening. Palmer pitched the idea to mall officials when they were seeking artists for the murals, which will come down as additional tenants move into a now-vacant section of the mall.

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Nearly 40 stores will open this week in the mall. One tenant, Bath and Body Works, will be open in a few weeks, Marketing Director Julie Dawson told Patch on Tuesday. That will leave about 25 spaces for future tenants and Dawson said additional stores are expected in early 2018. She said all spaces will be finished and essentially move-in ready for future occupants.

The stores at the open-air mall are connected and form corridors where six “gallery roofs” provide shade, but maintain the open air marketplace feel. Fabric awnings and metal canopies accentuate the storefront designs and the mall's overall look is inspired by the Prairie Style made popular by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, mall officials said. Neutral earth-tone exteriors and brick and stone accents are prevalent, while vibrant accent colors and bright geometric wall patterns complete each store's facade.

According to mall officials, the Outlets of Des Moines also features:

• Sliding storefronts on the food court tenant spaces to allow for inside or outside dining
• Soft seating, festive hanging lights and decorative light poles on the concourses between shops
• Decorative screen walls on the mall perimeter to conceal service areas while complimenting the Prairie Style design theme
• Native plants in seating and gathering areas and the mall perimeter
• Ambient sound system for a “pleasant background soundtrack” while shoppers stroll
• Amenities such as an outdoor fireplace, free Wi-Fi and charging stations, and family-oriented shopping carts to keep children entertained while moving between shops

The Outlets of Des Moines, developed and owned by New England Development, began construction in June 2016. It is expected to generate $100 million in annual retail sales with full occupancy and will have on-site employment of between 800 and 1,000 people.

Grand opening events

Thursday: Get a sneak peek at the “Open Doors Open Hearts” Charity Preview Night from 5 to 9 p.m. with special savings, giveaways, entertainment, tastings and more. Tickets cost $20 per person and are available online only. Buyers will be able to select one of 20 local nonprofit groups to receive a donation equal to the ticket price.

Friday: Ribbon cutting at 9:30 a.m. with stores opening at 10 a.m.

Saturday: Big Moe Cason will judge a BBQ cookoff (rib, chicken and sausage categories) beginning at 2 p.m. with awards at 5 p.m.; celebrity guest Carson Kressley ("Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") will host a “Makeover Miracle” makeover and fashion show at 3 p.m.; and country music entertainer Jason Brown will perform from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Sunday: Kids Day events from noon to 4 p.m. with face painting, superheroes, princesses and, at 2 and 3 p.m., the family rock band Imagination Movers from Disney Junior programming.

Throughout the weekend, stores also will offer grand opening specials such as a free votive from Yankee Candle, a free tote bag from Tommy Hilfiger and an in-store event at Brooks Brothers Factory Store. Coupons are available online for all the weekend deals.

Regular mall hours for Outlets of Des Moines, located at 801 Bass Pro Drive in Altoona, will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

From Asics to Zales, the stores that make up the new outlet mall are:

• Asics
• Auntie Anne’s
• Bath & Body Works
• Book Warehouse
• Brooks Brothers Factory Store
• Brow Beauty
• Carter’s Babies and Kids
• Charleys Philly Steaks
• Converse
• Direct Tools Outlet
• Express Factory Outlet
• Famous Footwear Outlet
• Fragrance Outlet
• francesca’s
• GNC
• Kay Jewelers Outlet
• Kitchen Collection
• Lane Bryant Outlet
• LeCreuset
• Levi’s Outlet
• Lids
• Loft Outlet
• maurices
• Nike Factory Store
• OshKosh B’gosh
• Rack Room Shoes
• Skechers
• Teriyaki Boys
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Torrid
• Toys R Us Express
• Under Armour
• Vera Bradley
• VF Outlet
• Yankee Candle
• Zales Outlet

Photos by Melissa Myers, Patch