Aerial Photo Shows St. Louis Premium Outlets Construction Progress

Simon Property Group is saying at least 30 percent of the walls have been erected for the future St. Louis Premium Outlets. Credit Frank Johnson

By Frank Johnson - Chesterfield Patch

With construction well underway at St. Louis Premium Outlets and Taubman Prestige Outlets, it seems increasingly unlikely that Chesterfield will get just one outlet mall. 

A representative for Simon Property Group has announced that at least 30 percent of the walls of the future St. Louis Premium Outlets are now up.

The development is locked in construction arms race with a competiting outlet mall in Chesterfield Valley, Taubman Prestige Outlets. The two are each aiming for opening dates sometime next August.

The picture above dates from early December and shows an ariel view of the progress at the St. Louis Premium Outlets site, which is being developed by Simon and Woodmount Outlets. The 350,000-square-foot will be part of a larger 137-acre commercial center that is planned to have office, hotel, restaurant and entertainment venues as well.

With construction now clearly underway for both sites, local media have reacted by noting that many didn't expect the competing projects to both get this far, but it now seems almost certain that each will open.

A report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it the "point of no return," noting that in similar situations around the country they either teamed together or one dropped out.

What do you think? Are the developers playing a game of chicken? Is this outlet mall battle only going to have one winner? Tell us in the comments below.