Outlets of Michigan Conceptual Rendering (1).jpg

An artist's rendering of Outlets of Michigan, planned for Romulus

(Courtesy image)

DETROIT, MI – Plans are moving forward for a 325,000-square-foot outlet center with 75 retailers across from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, a development firm said Wednesday.

New England Development said it intends to develop Outlets of Michigan as an open-air center with shaded pedestrian walkways and Detroit-inspired architecture. The mall is scheduled to open just east of Vining Road and north of Interstate 94 in 2016.

The company has developed outlet malls throughout the country, including in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and North Carolina.

New England Development looked at these demographics when deciding to add the outlet mall: Wayne County is the 18th-most populous county in the country, and more than 3.5 million people live within 30 miles of the company’s planned development. Detroit Metro Airport has 32 million passengers passing through its terminals each year.

The company wagers it could attract some business from Ann Arbor as well, where the affluent home of the University of Michigan has an average household income of $71,580 and where there are about 43,000 college students.

"The center's location in this market is ideal," Douglass Karp, Executive Vice President of New England Development, said in a statement. "Outlets of Michigan is located on the major highway between Chicago and Detroit, directly opposite Detroit Metro Airport, and is the closest outlet center in Michigan to the Canadian border."



Romulus Mayor LeRoy D. Burcroff added, "The Outlets of Michigan is a great example of growth and positive change that is coming to the City of Romulus. A 325,000-square-foot high-end outlet mall is just what our region needed and we are pleased that New England Development has chosen Romulus for the development. Businesses that locate in our community often take advantage of Romulus' reputation as a transportation hub, including access to both I-94 and I-275."

David Muller is the business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter