Rich Richardson, director of marketing for Spectrum Capital,says the second phase will take 14 months to complete. The 166-acreproject is rising at the junction of Interstate 20 and TrustmarkRoad. The first phase has Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World andTrustmark Park baseball stadium up and running and a Holiday Innunder construction. Around the same time that the outlets breakground, work will begin on a 132,000-sf Sam's Club store.Bentonville, AR-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has just bought thesite.

"We've been getting a lot more destination travelers out therethan the typical suburban mall," Richardson says. "That's why wethought outlet centers were best for the next phase." He saysnational credit tenants are starting to visit the outlet mall site,which is undergoing infrastructure development. ACM Architects ofSan Diego, CA is the project designer, and Yates & SonsConstruction Co., also from Jackson, is the general contractor.

The Outlets of Bloomfield's third phase will be an entertainmentcomplex, but it's still on the drawing board. Richardson tellsGlobeSt.com that about 20 to 30 additional acres must be acquiredbefore construction can begin. "We're making some offers for theland in the area," he adds.