Reported by: Jenell WaltonPhotographed by: Michael BenedicWeb produced by: Alyssa BunnThe City of Monroe is celebrating a major accomplishment with the groundbreaking of a new outlet mall.
It took nearly two years of negotiations, but Cincinnati Premium Outlets will be going up at Monroe Exit 29 off of I-75.
On Wednesday, the bulldozers started clearing away the trees and brush at the construction site.
The plan is for the mall to open Summer 2009, and residents are already discussing the impact it will have on the area.
Sara Janes Restaurant is one of the larger businesses in Monroe.
However, that's about to change with the construction of Cincinnati Premium Outlets.
Most of Sara Janes customers are thrilled about the new shopping mall.
"It'll spark a lot of jobs and a lot of shopping," said James Bamburg of Franklin. "There's not a good mall around here. There's the Town Mall up in Middletown, but there's not very much there. So it will be a good shopping experience. People don't have to go all the way to Dayton or Centerville or Cincinnati."
Monroe's City Manager, William Brock, presented some of the building plans on Wednesday.Brock said the taxes from the mall will help the city make more improvements.
"Any project that you can get underway in today's economy is a good project, but one of this scale, especially, is a good one for us," Brock said.
Cincinnati Premium Outlets will house 120 stores and create 1000 jobs by the time it opens in the summer of 2009.
"They have not told us about any of the shops that are going into this particular location," said Brock. "They ask everybody to take a look at the website, PremiumOutlets.com and see some of the other stores that they have at their other sites for comparison."
Many residents in the area are in support of the project.
"I think it's a great idea," said Monroe resident Elaine Magie. "There's not many other things up here that will service that type of industry. You've got the flea markets, but the outlets will be a little more premier."
"I think it's a great idea. The more malls the better. I love to shop," added Vivian Ratliff of Hamilton.
Brock admitted he's heard some concerns about the increased traffic the mall will bring, but he said a new interchange planned off of I-75 should help.
The new mall will be located right in the middle of Dayton and Cincinnati, and will be just a few minutes from Kings Island.
Developers believe they have the potential to reach three million people in the region.
