Plans are in the works for two separate outlet malls in Hartford County.
The first proposed site is in Windsor Locks, near the intersection of Route 20 and Interstate 91. The property is currently a tobacco patch. Simon Property Group, which already owns an outlet mall in Clinton and two other outlet malls in Massachusetts, plans to develop the lot into 350,000 square feet of retail space and an assortment of dining options.
Another company called The Horizon Group hopes to transform open space at Rentschler Field in East Hartford into outlets. The horizon proposal would create 381,000 of leasable space.
The site is not far from I-84 and Route 2 in East Hartford.
Currently there are no outlet malls in Hartford County, but residents who spoke with NBC Connecticut were open to the idea.
"I think a mall would do great actually," said Brian Cooper, of Windsor Locks. "It would put us on the map. I mean, we're a small town, we get a lot of visitors."
Windsor Locks resident Crystal Pleasant agreed.
"Actually, we need more things within this community to build up and that way we can bring more jobs to people around the area," she said.
Both groups still have to go through several steps before the projects are approved.
