West Farms, a million-square-foot mall in West Hartford, has siphoned off downtown business since 1974.

WHEN The Westchester, a million-square-foot mall, opened in 1995, expectations were high that complementary retail would soon spring up around it.

But even more dazzling is the après-ski scene afforded by the 400 shops and restaurants in the 6.5 million-square-foot mall.

Northwest of Waterbury, in Watertown, Homart wants to build a million-square-foot mall on 160 acres.

In 1987, a new administration finally compromised, with a million-square-foot regional mall called Boise Town Square approved for the very edge of the city.

In March, construction began on 200,000 square feet to be added to the 1.3 million-square-foot mall, which opened in 1986 and is the largest in the state.

As for the million-square-foot New Haven mall, it was proposed for a site overlooking the harbor at Long Wharf in the mid-90's.

The million-square-foot mall has four anchor stores.

City officials see Harbor Yard as the first success in a renaissance that they hope will include a million-square-foot mall, a hockey rink and a basketball arena.

She said that many students applied to stores in the Westchester, the million-square-foot mall that opened last March in White Plains.