Simon malls bringing Nashville Premium Outlets to Williamson County. Here’s what to know

Heads up, shoppers.

A Nashville Premium Outlets is in the works in Thompson’s Station. The outlet mall, owned by real estate investment trust Simon, will be developed in collaboration with Nashville-based AJ Capital Partners.

Construction on the planned 325,000-square-foot mixed-use property is slated to begin in 2026. Preliminary plans include approximately 75 stores, restaurants and a hotel, with the potential to add residential options in the future.

The announcement highlights the rapid growth in pastoral communities of Williamson County like Thompson’s Station, which has a population of about 9,000 residents. Last year, the first liquor store in Thompson’s Station opened.

Simon announced this week it has entered into an agreement to purchase the land at the intersection of Interstate 65 and Interstate 840. The company is one of the largest operators of malls and shopping centers in the U.S., with Premium Outlets in Hudson Valley, New York and Palm Springs, California.

In the Nashville area, Simon owns and operates Opry Mills and co-owns the Mall at Green Hills through a joint venture with Taubman Realty Group. Gary Duncan, Simon’s president of Premium Outlets and The Mills, said the firm is zeroed in on the growth happening in the Nashville area.

“The airport is being expanded, Titans are building a new stadium,” Duncan told The Tennessean. “I think we look at that Thompson’s Station site, and that general area of greater Nashville as something that’s underserved retail-wise.”

Where will the Nashville Premium Outlets be located?

The Nashville Premium Outlets is set to be located at the intersection of I-65 and I-840, which is near FirstBank Amphitheater. It’s a rapidly-growing area of Williamson County. The massive Berry Farms mixed-use development in Franklin is just a few miles north of the site of the forthcoming Premium Outlets.

Duncan expects the shopping center to have both local and regional appeal. He said the distance between Simon’s three Nashville area properties will allow the company to capture a wide ranging shopping audience.

“Nashville’s not as easy to get around as it once was,” Duncan said. “This property appeals to the locals in that particular part of the area, as well as people driving into the market.”

What is the estimated economic impact of the new Nashville Premium Outlets?

Thompson’s Station mayor Brian Stover said the community is excited to welcome the retail development.

“This project represents a significant investment in our town and has the potential to enhance local amenities, create jobs, and strengthen our economy,” Stover said in a news release.

“We look forward to working with the developers to ensure this project is a tremendous success while maintaining alignment with the character and general plan of Thompson’s Station and supporting our vision for the future.”

Duncan said the new shopping center will create jobs in construction while build-out is happening with permanent jobs in retail and hospitality to follow.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Premium Outlets: New mall coming to Thompson’s Station