Big crowds at The Shops of Grand River opening.

The Shops of Grand River opened to big crowds yesterday, but officials say they hope it's only the beginning of the traffic -- and sales tax dollars -- generated by the new outlet mall in Leeds.

Parking lots were filling up as officials cut the ribbon on the 330,000-square-foot development shortly before 10 a.m.

After that, lines formed outside some stores as shoppers filed in, picking up opening-day freebies. Water bottles at Nike and chocolates at Ghirardelli were among the bounty.

Many shoppers were from across metro Birmingham, checking out the latest addition to the area's retail scene. It was a diverse crowd, including retirees and young moms pushing strollers.

Rebecca Burton of Corner and her mother, Ellen Lott of Mount Olive, who were shopping with Burton's infant son, said they were impressed with the variety of the center's lineup.

"I love this," Lott said. "You've got every store that you need."

Burton said she was looking forward to having an outlet center close by.

"This is something that you can come to any day," she said.

But besides the hometown crowd, officials with development team Daniel Corp., USS Real Estate and the Retirement Systems of Alabama hope the outlets will draw out-of-town visitors, along with their shopping dollars.

The center will get its first big test this weekend, with the opportunity to attract visitors in the area for a race at Talladega and the Magic City Classic in Birmingham. The outlets also aim to feed off traffic for the nearby Bass Pro Shops and Barber Motorsports Park.

All that means more revenue for Leeds and its school system, Mayor Eric Patterson said at the ribbon-cutting.

"I hope that this will be the first of many visits y'all make here," he said.

SOURCE: Dawn Kent -- The Birmingham News