Upscale Outlet Mall May Land Near Metro Airport
By Edward Cardenas
ROMULUS (CBSDetroit) - Airline passengers flying out of Detroit Metropolitan Airport who forgot to pack a suit, formal dress or designer purse may soon be able to shop for those last-minute items before their flight at a high-end outlet mall proposed for Romulus.
Tim Keyes, Romulus director of economic development, said Thursday that Newton-based New England Development is proposing a 75-store, 325,000-square-foot mall across from the airport at I-94 and Vining Road.
"The region is primed for this type of development," Keyes said.
Douglass Karp, Executive Vice President of New England Development, stated the location for the Outlets of Michigan is attractive because of the proximity to the Canadian border and Ann Arbor, the 32 million people who fly in- and out- of airport and the number of residents living within a 30-mile radius of the proposed open-air center.
Company officials said the mall, which has a planned opening in 2016, will have shaded pedestrian concourses and architecture "inspired by the unique character of Detroit and southeast Michigan."
"The Outlets of Michigan will be a destination for people who live nearby, those that pass through the city and shoppers from upwards of an hour away," said Romulus Mayor LeRoy D. Burcroff in a release. "We're excited about the impact this facility will have on our community and our region."
New England Development has opened similar projects in locations across the country including West Palm Beach, Fla., and Ashville, N.C., which feature stores including Nike, J. Crew and Kenneth Cole.
