Prime Retail Management, an arm of the Baltimore-based owner of outlet shopping centers, will lay off 44 workers at its downtown Baltimore office by Sept. 5, the company said in a notice filed with Maryland's labor department.

The notice to the state's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation did not indicate whether or not the East Redwood Street office would be closed.

Prime Outlets Acquisition Co., which owns 22 outlet malls around the country including Prime Outlets Hagerstown and Prime Outlets Queenstown, is to be acquired in a $2.33 billion deal by Simon Property Group, the nation's largest owner of malls. Representatives of Prime's current owner, Lightstone Group, declined comment on the Baltimore layoffs. A spokesman for Simon also declined to comment.

When Simon announced the acquisition in December, officials did not say whether it would mean a loss of jobs at the Inner Harbor headquarters.

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

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