The Valley Indy spoke to Douglas Gray, president and CEO of the Eclipse Development Group, and Mayor Anthony Staffieri, following a June 14 Redevelopment Agency meeting.
The video above shows Gray talking about his plans with Derby officials.
Eclipse is working on plans to develop the city’s downtown redevelopment zone. Preliminary plans call for roughly eight tenants on 22 acres along the Housatonic River in downtown Derby.
The largest retail tenant measures 58,000 square feet, according to a site plan being used to market “Derby Landing” on Eclipse Development’s website.
The site plan includes spaces for two restaurants.
A copy of the site plan is posted below. Click the hyperlink for a larger version. The article continues after the site plan.
Valley Indy: You’ve been talking to people who own property in the redevelopment zone, presumably about purchasing properties? How is that coming along?
Doug Gray: “We are finalizing a contract with one of them and we should close out by the end of July. With a number of properties, with have to see, with the (DOT) road widening (of Route 34) — we don’t want to get in the way with what the DOT is doing.”
Which property owner are you close to signing a deal with? Is it Lifetouch?
Gray: “I can not really say … But thank you for asking!”
Valley Indy: It’s probably one of the key properties down there?
Gray: “I would say, yes.”
Valley Indy: And that deal should be closed in June or July?
Gray: “Yes.”
Valley Indy: “You said a retailer, a possible major tenant, is going to be touring the site?”
Gray: “We’ve been told sometime this summer. We are hoping the next 30 to 45 days. And that’s the one who is driving the timetable. If it goes the way we expect it to, basically we can put pencil to paper and see where we sit. Part of this is also coordinating with DOT and their timetable (to widen Route 34/Main Street in front of the redevelopment zone). We don’t want to build a retail center when the road is ripped up.”
Valley Indy: I live in Derby. The key thing people want to know is who is moving in there?
Gray: “Until the lease is signed, we can’t say anything.”
Mayor Staffieri: “You want to know who that anchor store is? You’ll be happy.”
Gray: “Even after the lease is signed, we have confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, because they like to announce their openings and handle their own PR.”
Valley Indy: Last year, September was set as your deadline as to when you would come back to the Redevelopment Agency with plans and tenants. Would you say you’re ahead of that schedule?
Gray: “Knocking on wood, yes.”
Mayor Staffieri: “That’s was is great. He is ahead of schedule, signing leases with potential tenants. Based on what Doug has been telling us, this is going to be an awesome project. The people of Derby will love it. It will be a great place to walk around, enjoy and to shop.”
Gray: “Shop and dine. To me it’s important to having dining in this, because that helps pedestrian traffic.”
Mayor Staffieri: “Years ago it used to be (that) retail centers went to the suburbs. Now cities are trying to bring shopping centers into the city. Why? Because people can walk around. They don’t have to travel far. They don’t have to leave the city. It’s in your hub. This is the concept that I think is falling together.”
Valley Indy: One thing we hear from opponents is ‘Strip mall downtown.’
Mayor Staffieri: “That’s not what we’re doing. It’s not a strip mall. They type of projects Doug does, there’s a theme. He does a lot of landscaping, little things…”
Gray: “Our sidewalks are much wider. They are much more pedestrian friendly and geared toward encouraging people to spend time within the development — walk around, spend time, which is why the dining is so important. We’re hoping — I know the mayor is hoping — that this will help businesses across the street with more pedestrian traffic. Both sides of downtown will hopefully be bustling.”
Mayor Staffieri: “It will be a domino effect. While (the redevelopment zone) is going on, other business property owners will fix up their properties so it will be blended together. I know Sheila (O’Malley, Derby’s Economic Development Director) is already working on different grants to extend the type of lighting that will be used on Main Street to carry it up through Elizabeth Street, Olivia Street, Carolyn Street, Minerva Street. It will end up being a nice downtown that is one — not fractured pieces.”
Valley Indy: If I read this and I want to get an idea of what this may look like, Eclipse development a shopping center in North Haven?
Gray: “North Haven Commons.”
Valley Indy: Is that what the Derby development will look like?
Gray: “No. We try to make each one a little bit more timeless in its design. We take an architectural style. Here we want it to be harkening back to what we’re calling an old-town look. We have some plans we’re still working on. It’s not a cookie-cutter design.”
