CHICAGO PREMIUM OUTLETS EXPANDING

The 440k SF  Simon Property-owned center in Aurora is growing another 130k SF by the end of 2012 (and the end of the world... again), Simon's Michele Rothstein tells us. Outlets and discount chains have been performing well in the new era of frugality, and quality brands have been looking for outlet space for some time now. While it's too soon to say where on the site the expansion will be located or which tenants would occupy space, Michele tells us they'll be on the same level as current tenants like  Coach, Nike, J Crew, and Giorgio Armani. (We hope now a certain boyfriend will stop buying a certain person 'Barberry' purses on the streets of Chinatown.)