Representatives for Eclipse Development were scheduled to give an update Tuesday on their plans for Derby’s downtown redevelopment zone — but the meeting was canceled Monday afternoon.
Eclipse wants to build a shopping center in a portion of the redevelopment zone, which stretches along the Housatonic River on the south side of Main Street.
The city has been trying for years to spur development there.
Tuesday was scheduled to be the company’s first appearance at a Redevelopment Agency meeting since February, when company officials announced their intent to proceed with the development in separate phases instead of one large project.
However, Eclipse Development president Doug Gray had to cancel due to illness. The meeting will be rescheduled.
In February, Gray said Eclipse had three commercial tenants “ready to go” and two more on the way. Gray said he hoped to get permits and start construction on the project by the third or fourth quarter of 2012, according to minutes from the meeting.
As of Monday, the company had no applications for approvals or permits on file in City Hall. Gray did not return a call for comment.
The redevelopment zone is 22 acres. The City of Derby owns 14 of those acres.
To make full redevelopment a reality in Derby, Eclipse officials have said they would negotiate with several private property owners in the redevelopment zone.
In May, attorney Dominick Thomas, who represents three private property owners in the redevelopment zone, told members of the Board of Aldermen that in order to make redevelopment happen, the city needed to buy out the private property owners. Click here to read what he said at the Aldermen meeting.
At the time, Mayor Anthony Staffieri and Alderman Ken Hughes bristled at Thomas’ suggestion. Alderman Carmen DiCenso said the city should consider Thomas’ idea.
At a Redevelopment Agency meeting in August, Sheila O’Malley, the city’s economic and community development director, said while owning the private properties would be “ideal,” the purchase would be very expensive and would have to be approved by voters through a referendum, which would be difficult.
Derby signed a contract with Eclipse, a California-based company, on April 13, 2010 — 29 months ago. The contract was set to expire 18 months after its effective date, but included a clause allowing Eclipse to request a six-month extension.
On Nov. 15, 2011, the Redevelopment Agency approved a “detailed conceptual plan” submitted by Eclipse.
A dog-eared copy of Derby’s April 2010 contract with the company is posted below.
