By Brandon T. Bisceglia
After several stops and starts, the CT Post Mall in Milford is on the road to significant changes.
The Milford Planning and Zoning Board at its Oct. 3 meeting approved changes to the zoning regulations that would allow the mall’s owners to pursue building up to 750 apartments on the property.
The move, which is part of owner Centennial Real Estate’s broader plans to revitalize the mall, is a reversal of a 2021 decision by the Planning and Zoning Board to deny the building of apartments on the site.
The regulation change was required to allow for mixed residential uses in the zone, which were not previously allowed. It is not expected to affect any other parts of the city, since the regulation was tailored to the mall property within the Shopping Center Design District.
Centennial had been in negotiations with the city starting in 2020, when it put forward a now-defunct plan to erect an apartment building with 300 units on the mall property. That plan was widely panned by city officials – particularly former mayor Ben Blake, who called the idea “terrible” at the time.
Blake maintained that Milford’s success depended in part on its delineation of residential and commercial districts, with the mall squarely in the middle of a commercial zone.
Current Mayor Richard Smith had a different take on the matter, coming before the board to ask them to support the regulation change.
“We need this development as much as they (Centennial) do, if not more,” Smith said. “I think our knight in shining armor did gallop in, but it’s not Amazon. This is exciting.”
One difference in the new proposal by Centennial is the designation of 10 percent of the apartments as deed-restricted affordable housing – helping Milford increase the number it needs to meet affordable housing targets.
“In our last discussion with you we raised that to 5 percent. Rather than get into a negotiation with you, we wanted to go the extra mile and propose the full 10 percent,” said attorney John Knuff of Milford-based Hurwitz Sagarin Slossberg & Knuff, who is representing the owners.
Whitney Livingston, president of Centennial, said her industry has seen dramatic changes in the last decade. She said that most malls were built as an enclosed space with a few large anchor retailers surrounded by numerous smaller retail operations, largely centered around selling apparel and accessories. But those have been eroded by the fall of department stores, the rise of online shopping and retailer bankruptcies.
“Consumers today are looking at more than just apparel shopping,” Livingston said. “They want experience, which means we as mall owners must deliver entertainment, better food and beverage, health, wellness, beauty, lifestyle service, all alongside apparel and accessories in a very different environment. We must offer a fun, walkable, indoor and outdoor experience that is amenitized with art, music, entertainment and vibrancy.”
Livingston pointed out that the Post Mall has been steadily losing tenants under its current setup. As Milford’s largest single taxpayer, it has paid out about $250,000 less in taxes to the city each year – meaning a larger share of city revenue has to come from other sources, including residential property owners.
Smith echoed Livingston’s point in his remarks. Smith related that he had been meeting recently with credit rating agencies, who he said were pleased when they heard that he would be speaking in favor of the mall development.
“We need to be partnering with the Centennials of the world to put them back online so that we can realize the tax revenue and other residual benefits.”
The plan Centennial proposed would be completed in three phases over approximately 10 years and include outdoor plazas and green spaces. About a third of the residential units would come on board in each phase.
Board member Etan Hirsch noted that if the project as proposed moves forward, it could lead to construction at the mall for up to a decade.
“Hopefully, yeah,” Knuff replied. He explained that the mall would stay open and accessible throughout, as it had when such stores as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target were built.
With the regulation change passed, representatives for the mall will now have to come back to the Planning and Zoning Board with a detailed site plan to begin hashing out the details of what Centennial wants to pursue. Knuff said the owners expected to be back by the spring with their next application.