The Clarksburg Premium Outlets held its grand opening on October 27, 2016. Located right off Exit 18, it is a hard sight to miss when driving on I-270. The outlet boasts a wide range of stores such as the Nike Factory Store, Brook Brothers, Old Navy, Clarks, and much more. RM students and Montgomery County residents finally have what Montgomery County Council President Nancy Floreen, described as, “…[an outlet] that is so close to home.”

In late 2014, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved the Clarksburg Premium Outlet’s site application. The project was codeveloped by real estate and development companies Simon, New England Development, and Streetscape Partners. Construction began about a year ago, with the goal that the outlet would be finished by 2016 . However, the project underwent three years of tenuous planning and approvals before the green light was even issued to begin construction.

The grand opening ceremony was attended by Montgomery County Council members, as well as District 6 U.S. Rep. John Delaney, who tweeted on his page that the outlet is an “…important economic opportunity for northern Montgomery County.”

The project sparked an influx of more than 800 job openings, according to New England Development President Douglass Karp.

Benjamin Wu, Maryland’s Deputy Secretary of Commerce, voiced his praise for the economic state that Maryland is currently in due to the opening of the Clarksburg Premium Outlet. According to Wu, the unemployment rate now rests at 4.2 percent, below the national average of 5 percent.

Nancy Floreen, Montgomery County Council President, who attended the grand opening ceremony on the 27th, foresaw that the outlet would become a shopping center for many Montgomery County residents.

“It’s going to be a great destination for folks, especially as holiday season opens up for us…It introduced a whole lot of residents who haven’t been to Clarksburg, and they’re going to have a great time up there,” she told Montgomery County Media.

As for the outlet itself, the 392,000-square-foot, two-level structure includes covered walkways, music, the Market Hall dining pavilion, and four parking lots. The four sections of the actual outlet, the Low Street West, Low Street East, Upper Street West, and Upper Street East, are home to many businesses that each have something to offer to the public, from athletic wear to toys to simple, casual places to sit and converse.

Escalators provide transportation to and from the upper and lower levels while couches and pillowed benches are scattered across the walkways for shoppers to rest and enjoy the surprisingly calm atmosphere of the crowded outlet.

In addition, kiosks are set up in the outlet alongside a small kids’ playground located in the Low Street West section.

“The setup and layout of the stores was very aesthetically pleasing,” senior Maddie Liu said.

The laid-back, open style of the outlet is a reason why teenagers such as junior Jonathan Huang have had generally positive opinions on it.

“It’s a good place to sit and chill. Plus there are helpful workers and nice music for an overall cool experience,” Huang noted.

However, others like freshman Katie Kolodner noted the discrepancies in the outlet.

“I wish that the outlets had more stores that were designed for students our age, but it’s understandable that they would target more adults.,” she acknowledged.

Liu agreed, saying that “the stores mostly pander to rich middle-aged people.”

Even so, the opening weekend of the outlet saw record breaking numbers, as almost all businesses exceeded their sales plans, according to Mark Silvestri, Simon’s COO.

It is too early to tell what will come of the Clarksburg Premium Outlet; however, the opening weekend sales show a promising future for this enterprise. The upcoming Thanksgiving break and most importantly, Black Friday, will offer the public a better idea of what this outlet is capable of, both socially and economically.