Prince George's County Gives Preliminary Approval for Outlet Center

The Prince George's County Planning Board gave preliminary approval to plans for a new outlet center near a historic site.

The board's unanimous decision Thursday followed six hours of testimony from more than three dozen people.

The 460,000-square-foot development would be built near just outside the Capital Beltway, near the National Harbor.

Taylor Chess, senior vice president of retail for Peterson Cos., said if the project gets full approval from the planning board and county officials this summer, the outlet mall could be open by summer 2013.

Many residents objected to the proposal Thursday, saying it would lead to additional traffic congestion. They also said it would create an eyesore near the historic Oxon Hill Manor, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.