Only a few days away from the grand opening, developers behind the Outlets of Little Rock estimate the shopping center will rake in $100 million in annual retail sales.
Speaking to the Rotary Club of Little Rock on Tuesday, Michael Barelli, the vice president of New England Development of Newton, Massachusetts, said the Outlets will bring 800 to 1,000 jobs plus additional holiday hires for the coming season.
Construction of the 325,000-SF shopping center, located next to Bass Pro Shops at the intersection of I-30 and I-430 in southwest Little Rock, was managed by CDI Contractors LLC of Little Rock. So far, the Outlets have announced 69 stores, most of which will open on Friday. There will be about 75 stores when the center is complete.
The Outlets of Little Rock is the only outlet center in the state — the closest is in Branson, Missouri.
The shopping center’s location guarantees visibility. According to Barelli, more than 40 percent of Arkansas’ population lives within 60 miles of the Outlets, and more than 95,000 cars pass the center each day. Meanwhile, the adjacent Bass Pro Shops draws 50 percent of its customers from a 50-mile radius or farther, Barelli said.
Barelli also said he believes that, despite trends toward more online shopping, people will continue to visit outlet stores. He said “outlet centers are very resilient to the Internet because the discounts are not available online.”
Developer Tommy Hodges, who landed the deals to bring Bass Pro Shops and the Outlets to the site, said that of the 176 acres of the area his group purchased in 2001, 56 remain undeveloped.
Hodges also estimated that the Outlets will collect nearly $2.3 million per year in city taxes and around $1.5 million per year in county sales taxes. In addition to drawing customers from around the state, 425,000 people live within a 30-minute radius of the mall, he said.
Hodges had other development news. He said a new Chick-fil-A restaurant will likely open near David’s Burgers near the mall site. Construction on a Dave & Buster’s restaurant began this week.
Hodges also talked about “The Grove,” an adjacent development aimed at attracting hotels, restaurants and entertainment.