Derby’s Planning and Zoning Commission last week got its first look at plans to redevelop the old Valley Bowl property into more than 30,000 square feet of new retail space anchored by supermarket.
And while an engineer for the project became the third person to publicly identify Aldi, a discount grocery store chain headquartered in Germany, as the project’s major tenant, Aldi’s reps are still mum on the subject.
Chris Gagnon, the project engineer for applicant Louis Salemme, told the PZC Tuesday (March 26) that an Aldi location is the second tenant store signed for the 5.33-acre development at 98 Pershing Drive.
Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri identified Aldi as the prospective project’s anchor tenant in February. A week later Sheila O’Malley, the city’s economic development director, told the Valley Indy she was “extremely confident” the chain would have a new location in Derby.
“It’s an excellent anchor for a project of this size,” Gagnon said of Aldi at last week’s PZC meeting when he presented the development for a site plan review by the commission.
A message seeking confirmation of the plans sent last week to the public relations firm representing Aldi was not returned.
Reps from the firm have previously said that while Derby is a “viable market” for a location, there were no “defined plans” for a store.
Gagnon said the development — which will also feature a new Panera Bread location — will include five stand-alone buildings totaling 37,587 square feet. It will have one entrance opposite the main entrance for the Shop Rite plaza across the street.
The entrance will also serve the Walgreens drug store that will replace the former Xpect Discounts store, although the Walgreens is not part of the development.
Traffic to the Italian Pavilion restaurant will also use the driveway.
The owners of the different properties wrangled for months last year to resolve the issue of how traffic would move through the complicated entrance after the PZC approved the Walgreens plans.
Those issues were eventually resolved in September, with the PZC approving a settlement between the property owners.
The property is zoned Business 1, so the development does not require a zoning change.
The commission did not take any action on the application on Tuesday.
Gagnon said talks are ongoing with several other prospective tenants, but nothing had been finalized as of Tuesday night’s zoning meeting.
Panera Bread, which will have a drive-through window, will occupy the building at the end nearest the Italian Pavilion. Next door to it will be a bank building, Gagnon said.
Aldi would occupy one of two retail buildings in the center of the development, and another restaurant building will occupy the fifth building, nearest the entrance to the property.
There will be parking spots for 309 vehicles, according to the proposal.
Gagnon said the applicant wants zoning approval so construction could begin on the driveways and parking lots.
He said demolition permits have also been taken out for the one building that is left on the property, but did not provide a specific timeline for construction of the developoment.
Additional site plan applications would be presented to the PZC for the other restaurant, the other retail store and the bank when tenants are signed for them, Gagnon said.
He also said that in April the applicant would file a wetlands application for approval of the project’s storm water drainage system.
City Engineer Ryan McEvoy told the PZC he had not completed his review of the plan.
Commission Chairman Theodore J. Estwan Jr. said he would receive a review letter and the project might come up for further discussion at the commission’s next meeting April 16.
Other business
Estwan read a letter from the South Central Regional Water Authority stating that it wished to withdraw its applications for placing a water tank and rock crushing machinery on Mountain Street.
Residents of the neighborhood around that property came out in force to oppose the application in February.
The letter stated that the Authority intends to resubmit new applications at a future date. The commission voted to accept the withdrawal.
The commission also approved an application by Gallery 34 Antiques and Auctions to modify the parking lots previously approved at 300 Roosevelt Drive, with the condition that it continue to lease some parking spaces to a business across the street and get approval from the Connecticut Department of Transportation for new sidewalks.
