A pair of Cheshire developers is looking to build a sprawling mixed-use development on two local vacant properties that could house an assortment of hotel, residential living, restaurant or retail space, among other uses.
The proposal by Miller Napolitano Wolff LLC and Tri-Star Development LLC scored a major victory this week as the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission overwhelmingly approved their subdivision application requesting to split 1953 and 2037 Highland Ave. into eight lots.
The developers first pitched a rendering of what the proposed North End development could look like in 2018 during a zoning commission meeting, Cheshire Town Planner William Voelker said Friday.
The preliminary plans, which have been largely unchanged, show a variety of uses to woo potential investors.
According to plans, uses may include a 150-room hotel, residential housing, a senior-living facility, a fitness center, medical offices, a convenience store, restaurant and retail space. A new road across from the nearby Interstate 691 ramp was also pitched.
Miller Napolitano Wolff LLC acquired the two parcels for more than $1.4 million in July 2005, town records show. The total acreage of the two properties was not immediately clear Friday.
Several developers have sought to develop the vacant land in recent decades, Voelker said. Mass.-based real estate developer WS Development was the last group that eyed development there, but later nixed its plans in 2015, he said.
The town’s initial approval this week gives the current developers an opportunity to market the properties to prospective vendors who may be interested in occupying a portion of the lots, Voelker said.
Plans for the development are likely to change depending on how the land is used, so the price of the development and its potential footprint in terms of square footage have not yet been determined.
“They are going to use these approvals as another way to strengthen their marketing of the property,” Voelker said. “They are really testing the market if end users will come to the site.”
