The Tri-state may soon become the home of a new major upscale outlet center.
Monroe city leaders have approved preliminary infrastructure plans for Cincinnati Premium Outlets.
The mall would be on State Route 63 just off of I-75.
The drawings call for a 400,000 square foot outdoor outlet shopping center with more than one hundred stores.
The website for the developer, Chelsea Property Group, shows it has centers like it already all over the country.
The closest to our area is near Cleveland.
Monroe's city manager Bill Brock went to visit one of the outlet centers.
"The initial response was it's a nice product," said Brock. "People are sometimes a little nervous about outlet malls in general but I think this is a high end mall that will fit nicely," said Brock.
The website touts Chelsea's existing outlets as upscale and for people who prefer designer labels.
"In the one we visited they had Nike stores, Sony Armani, Coach, Gucci," said Brock.
The developer wants to model the new Cincinnati Premium Outlets after this one, in Texas.
It's shaped like a race track with the food court in the middle and the stores built around.
The development would bring about 800 jobs.
It's also expected to lead to more development of restaurants and hotels.
"I think it differentiates itself from the other types of regional malls in the area so it's not necessary competing with those regional malls." said Brock.
Additional plans are expected to be approved next month.
If all goes as hoped the mall will be ready for shoppers in 2009.
