Outlets of Little Rock

Outlets of Little Rock is an open-air outlet shopping center in Little Rock, Arkansas, located near the intersection of Interstate 30 and Interstate 430. The center covers approximately 365,000 square feet and opened in 2015 as Arkansas's first outlet mall. Its tenant mix has included national fashion, footwear, home, food, entertainment, and specialty retailers, including Banana Republic Factory Store, Cole Haan Outlet, Nike Factory Store, and Le Creuset Outlet Store. The property forms part of a broader commercial and entertainment destination that also includes adjacent attractions such as Dave & Buster's and Bass Pro Shops. Its development was intended to provide a destination-oriented shopping environment rather than a conventional enclosed mall. The architecture uses a prairie-style vocabulary associated with Little Rock, with design references drawn from the city's River Market District. Landscaping featuring Arkansas-native plants, seating areas, gathering spaces, and a park-like layout are central elements of the center's physical identity. The site has a long prehistory as a proposed retail location. Ideas for shopping centers there date back to the early 1950s, but successive plans failed to reach construction. A proposed project known as Otter Creek Mall emerged in the 1980s but was halted by legal and financial problems. Momentum returned after the 2012 announcement that Bass Pro Shops would open its first Arkansas store on an adjacent site. That announcement helped revive plans for a nearby outlet center. Construction of Outlets of Little Rock began in 2015, the same year the center opened. The original developer and owner was NEA Development. In December 2019, NEA Development sold the property to Kohan Retail Investment Group in a transaction reported at $10 million. The sale occurred against a county assessment of approximately $61 million and a reported $68 million loan associated with NEA Development; the transaction included arrangements relating to a portion of that indebtedness. The center has continued to evolve its tenant and retail concepts. In 2023, Michaels opened a new store concept at the property, using a more streamlined design and emphasizing online merchandise ordering with in-store pickup. As an outlet destination, the center's positioning depends on branded discount retail, convenience for regional shoppers, and integration with nearby entertainment and destination attractions. Publicly available reference material does not identify a separate corporate headquarters, a listed security, or a dedicated official website for the mall brand.

The site occupied by Outlets of Little Rock has been considered for retail development since at least the early 1950s. Multiple shopping-center proposals were advanced over the decades, but none reached completion. During the 1980s, developers proposed Otter Creek Mall for the location. That project ultimately failed to proceed because of legal and financial difficulties, leaving the site without the large-scale shopping development that had repeatedly been envisioned. A new phase of planning began after Bass Pro Shops announced in 2012 that it would open its first Arkansas store on land adjacent to the future outlet-center site. The Bass Pro Shops announcement helped restore commercial interest in the area and provided an anchor attraction around which a broader retail and entertainment destination could be organized. Plans for Outlets of Little Rock subsequently moved forward under NEA Development. Construction began in 2015, and the center opened that year as Arkansas's first outlet mall. The project was designed as a 365,000-square-foot open-air complex rather than an enclosed regional mall. Its architectural treatment was described as prairie-style, with references to buildings in Little Rock's River Market District. The design incorporated landscaped outdoor areas, seating, gathering spaces, and Arkansas-native plantings to create a park-like environment. This approach was intended to make the property a destination for browsing and leisure as well as a place for transactional shopping. The center's commercial offer has been built around factory stores and outlet locations operated by recognizable national brands. Reported tenants have included Banana Republic Factory Store, Cole Haan Outlet, Nike Factory Store, and Le Creuset Outlet Store. The property is also situated next to attractions such as Bass Pro Shops and Dave & Buster's, giving it a role within a wider shopping, dining, and entertainment cluster. In December 2019, NEA Development sold Outlets of Little Rock to Kohan Retail Investment Group. The transaction was reported at $10 million. At the time, the property had a county assessment of about $61 million and was associated with a $68 million loan held by NEA Development. The reported transaction included the release of that loan in connection with payment toward part of NEA's indebtedness. The sale changed the property's ownership but did not alter its identity as an open-air outlet center. The property was the location of a fatal shooting in 2021 involving a man waiting with relatives for a carnival ride. A teenage suspect was detained five days later, and investigators obtained a capital-murder arrest warrant. The incident became part of the publicly documented history of the center, although the available reference material does not establish that it was connected to the mall's ownership or operations. Tenant-format innovation continued in 2023 when Michaels opened a new concept store at Outlets of Little Rock. The format used a more modern and simplified design and placed additional emphasis on customers ordering merchandise online for pickup at the store. This reflected the continuing adaptation of physical retail at the property to omnichannel shopping behavior. Publicly available sources do not provide a separate founding date for the brand beyond its 2015 opening, nor do they identify named executives or a dedicated corporate website.

• 2023

  Michaels opens redesigned store concept

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  Michaels introduced a streamlined store format at the center with an emphasis on digital ordering and in-store pickup.

• 2019

  Property changes ownership

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  NEA Development sold the property to Kohan Retail Investment Group in December 2019.

• 2015

  Outlets of Little Rock opens

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  The open-air center opened as Arkansas's first outlet mall, with prairie-style architecture and a park-like outdoor setting.

• 2012

  Bass Pro Shops announcement renews development interest

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  Bass Pro Shops announced plans for its first Arkansas store on an adjacent site, helping revive plans for a broader commercial development.

• 1980

  Otter Creek Mall proposal fails to proceed

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  A proposed shopping mall known as Otter Creek Mall was not constructed after encountering legal and financial problems.

• 1950

  Early proposals for retail development

  [1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  Plans for shopping centers at the eventual site of Outlets of Little Rock were being considered as early as the 1950s, although successive proposals did not come to fruition.

A regional open-air outlet destination combining branded discount retail with a park-like architectural setting and nearby entertainment attractions.

• Apparel and accessories · 2015

  Outlet fashion retail

  The center's principal retail offer consists of factory and outlet stores selling apparel, footwear, accessories, and related fashion merchandise from national brands. Reported tenants have included Banana Republic Factory Store, Cole Haan Outlet, and Nike Factory Store, giving the property a mix of casual, athletic, and premium-oriented discounted goods.

• Home goods and specialty merchandise · 2015

  Home and specialty retail

  Home-oriented and specialty retailers broaden the center beyond apparel. Le Creuset Outlet Store has been identified as a tenant, while Michaels added craft and hobby merchandise through its redesigned store concept in 2023. These offerings support the center's role as a mixed-category outlet destination.

• Retail, dining, and entertainment services · 2015

  Open-air shopping and entertainment destination

  Outlets of Little Rock is itself a destination-format retail product, combining outdoor shopping streets, landscaped gathering areas, seating, and access to adjacent attractions. Nearby Bass Pro Shops and Dave & Buster's contribute additional shopping and entertainment reasons for regional visitors to spend time at the site.

• 2021

  Fatal shooting near carnival attraction

  A 22-year-old man was fatally shot in the back of the head while waiting with family members to board a carnival ride near the center. A 16-year-old suspect was detained five days later, and investigators pursued a capital-murder arrest warrant. The available reference material does not indicate that the incident involved the mall's management or was caused by a corporate practice.

  Source

Read more

• 2023

  Introduce an omnichannel Michaels store conceptStrategy

  Background

  Retail tenants have increasingly incorporated digital ordering and pickup into physical-store operations.

  Action taken

  Michaels opened a new, simpler store design at the center, emphasizing online merchandise purchases for in-store pickup.

  Aftermath

  The new format added a digitally integrated craft and hobby retailer to the center's tenant mix.

  Source

• 2019

  Sale to Kohan Retail Investment GroupM&A

  Background

  NEA Development was the original owner of the property. The sale occurred while the property had a county assessment reported at approximately $61 million and a $68 million loan associated with NEA Development.

  Action taken

  NEA Development sold Outlets of Little Rock to Kohan Retail Investment Group in December 2019.

  Aftermath

  Kohan Retail Investment Group became the reported owner. The transaction was described as involving a $10 million payment and arrangements concerning part of NEA Development's indebtedness.

  Reported transaction value. $10 million (December 2019)

  Source

• 2015

  Launch an open-air outlet destinationStrategy

  Background

  After decades of unrealized proposals for the site and renewed interest following the adjacent Bass Pro Shops project, developers proceeded with a large outlet center.

  Action taken

  The project was built as a 365,000-square-foot open-air shopping center using prairie-style architecture, landscaped outdoor areas, and destination-oriented gathering spaces.

  Aftermath

  The center opened in 2015 as Arkansas's first outlet mall and established a regional retail and entertainment destination.

  Source

• 2023

  Michaels introduces a new store concept at Outlets of Little Rock[1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Michaels opened a redesigned store concept at the center, featuring a simpler visual format and greater emphasis on online ordering and in-store pickup.

• 2019

  Outlets of Little Rock sold to Kohan Retail Investment Group[1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Original owner NEA Development sold the shopping center to Kohan Retail Investment Group in December 2019 in a reported $10 million transaction.

• 2015

  Outlets of Little Rock opens as Arkansas's first outlet mall[1]Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org

  Other · Product launch

  The 365,000-square-foot open-air shopping center opened in Little Rock, introducing the state's first outlet mall and a tenant mix of national factory and outlet retailers.

1. 1Outlets of Little Rocken.wikipedia.org