New Details Released About Plans To Save Milford Mall

MILFORD, CT — Operation save the state's largest mall, Connecticut Post Mall, is in full force once again.

Last year, Milford's Planning and Zoning Board said no when mall owners, Centennial Real Estate, pitched plans for a 300-unit luxurious apartment complex on a portion of the mall property at 1201 Boston Post Road.

The proposal was panned by city leaders who didn't like the apartment proposal and wanted medical or office space instead.

Mall owners are back before the PZB and this time more details have been released concerning their ambitious plans and this time the feedback, at least initially, seems more supportive from Milford land-use officials, according to the New Haven Register.

Yes, the first phase still includes 300-apartments where the former Sears Auto Center was located. But this time there would be an area that could host outdoor dining, concerts and other events, the Register reports.

The second phase would definitely be more ambitious and includes demolishing about 450,000-square-feet of commercial space and replacing that with a medical center, offices and 200 more apartments, the Register reports. The mall currently has about 1.1 million square-feet of retail space.

Plans also include moving several major retailers remaining at the mall and creating more outdoor dining space for restaurants. Plans may officially be filed with the PZB next month. A public hearing would need to be held.

Milford Patch previously reported that Steven Levin (founder and CEO of Centennial, owner of the mall), said traditional malls have been struggling and that mall owners with sufficient capital, a longer time horizon, and vision are redeveloping these projects for the next 30 years by addressing how people live, work, and play now and will do so in the future. He said he was hoping to transform the CT Post Mall in similar fashion to several of their properties in Chicago, Orange County, and Virginia.

He said that a mall the size of the CT Post simply cannot find enough tenants if all spaces must be used for shopping and that the trend around the country is to transform these large campus environments to mixed use destinations that bring in uses other than shopping.

He said shopping is still a meaningful part of the project, but the campus design should be an integrated place that can also attract office tenants, medical tenants, or university tenants such that the working environment also provides amenities like restaurants, recreation, and entertainment. He said the leading trend in adding new uses to malls is incorporating residential spaces.

>>>Read More at the New Haven Register.