The Kentucky community of Simpsonville is preparing to welcome thousands of shoppers Thursday.
A 300 thousand square foot outlet mall, fully leased, will open just off Interstate 64.
City Administrator David Eaton says for the north-central Kentucky town of about 25 hundred, the economic impression will be substantial.
"You talking about over a thousand new employees with about a 30 million dollar payroll, which is also very important to us. It's gonna have an impact also in terms of other businesses that want to locate in our community. We've already had one new restaurant go up and another one's being built right now, so it's a major impact," said Eaton.
Eaton says the payroll tax boost to the city is not yet known, but he says hopefully it will allow for hiring more police officers and adding city services.
The Kentucky League of Cities has lobbied state lawmakers to give local communities the option to put a local sales tax before voters. With a major commercial venture coming on line, such a levy could generate significant revenue.
Eaton says he hasn't given it much thought because the measure would first need to pass the legislature and then be adopted by local voters.
The city administrator says the outlet shopping complex may also pave the way for more commercial traffic in downtown Simpsonville.
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