GGP pushes to move forward in SoNo mall approval process

 

NORWALK, Conn. – Efforts to create a land use document that will withstand the test of time – whether or not General Growth Properties (GGP) is successful in building its upscale mall in SoNo – were marked Saturday by a trio of jazzy commercials and complaints about perceived over-reaching.

The Joint Committee, a combination of Planning Commission, Common Council Planning Committee and Norwalk Redevelopment Agency members, met for the third weekend morning to try to determine what would be considered public realm in a mixed-use development that would include a mall and a hotel on the long vacant 95/7 site. Planning Committee Chairman Doug Hempstead (R-At Large) pushed to maintain flexibility in the new Land Disposition Agreement (LDA), so if GGP’s plans fall through, the process won’t be repeated. This resulted in some pushback from GGP’s representatives and a reminder from RDA Executive Director Tim Sheehan that a promised deadline was approaching.

“I think the dangers, and I’m not saying it is an issue yet, the thing we want to keep in our sights is GGP is here with a very specific idea of what it wants to build on the site,” GGP Attorney William Hennessey said. “I would hate for us to spend so much time and energy trying to create the alternative of what we want to build on the site that we lose the time that is so critical to us, to getting past where we are now, which is a an LDA approval. We have the time to get a conceptual master plan submitted.”

No decisions were made in the absence of one key member, RDA head Felix Serrano, but information was accrued.

Sheehan began the meeting by explaining to the committee that the market for office space has dropped significantly. But he said he recommended keeping 85,000 square feet of office as an option of the LDA, which Planning Commission Chairman Torgny Astrom said he agreed with wholeheartedly.

Another mixed use for the property would or could be public realm. Sheehan said that public art on the building’s façade could be considered public realm, as could an architectural design feature.

Then it was on to the comparison with other malls. Sheehan showed three videos. The first was The Mall at Short Hills (NJ), which isn’t really in the category of GGP’s mall concept as it has three anchors and is considered a super regional mall. Hempstead asked for a comparison with The Westchester mall, saying it’s upscale, like GGP’s concept.

Sheehan moved on to 900 North Michigan Shops, a video which produced many smiles around the room.

“I like that. That works,” Hempstead said.

 

Last but not least was The Mall at Miami Worldcenter, which Sheehan said has the same amount of retail square footage that GGP is proposing, as well as a hotel. Hempstead expressed some skepticism, and Sheehan said that mall is actually surrounded by residential development, on a total of 25 acres.

 

Hempstead asked for documentation to support an assertion made by consultant Robert Gibbs at an earlier meeting, that a mall would actually help the surrounding business area thrive. “Seems like most of the stuff under Waypointe is empty,” Hempstead said, expressing concern about walkability.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say that it’s empty. I would say there’s leases signed,” Sheehan said.

“I withdraw that motion,” Hempstead said. “I’ll go back to, in a circle of reasonable walkability, would it benefit the center of Norwalk, what we call uptown?”

Doug Adams of GGP said that Waypointe developer Paxton Kinol has good things to say about a potential mall. “He’s found that even the discussion has been positive to his residential and his retail use,” Adams said.

The conversation moved to 20 minutes of discussion on the ways that the LDA could be written to make it flexible. Hempstead said putting in residential use as a range from “zero to” an definitive number would mean that GGP was not obligated to build housing, but that it could be there for a future developer. Sheehan said he didn’t recommend using “zero” as an option, but said the LDA could be written to offer five land uses, with the option that a developer pick three.

“I’ve seen this too many times where everybody is taking the chess pieces and moving them around,” Hempstead said.

“They can’t do that because also while you’re doing the minimums you’re doing the maximums,” Sheehan said.

He went on to remind Hempstead that the retail on the site had been capped in an artificially low number because it had been expected that Waypointe would have an abundance of retail.

Off of that topic for a while – Astrom asked about pedestrian access and the feasibility of stops for the expected trolley-like circulator. Adams explained that there would be at least three standalone entrances off West Avenue in addition to four entrances into the mall through the stores that would protrude from the façade in what GGP has called “jewel boxes.” The circulator could also stop at Oyster Shell Park, and people could walk back to the mall, he said.

After about half an hour, Attorney Larry Cafero began by apologizing if he was being redundant, but questioned the scope of the committee.

“I want to make sure that is what we all understand is the exercise here,” Cafero said, after summing up the previous conversation – three of five land uses.

“Yes, and you have been involved with sausage making yourself for 25 years,” Hempstead said to the former state rep.

Cafero smiled. “28,” he said.

“Give or take,” Hempstead said. “Part of the intent of this, why there are three chairs and why there is a member of each committee for representation, was to prevent, hopefully, sending back with ‘we recommend this’ and then suddenly it all falls apart.”

Hempstead said he wanted to “Get the big bison out of the way,” in an effort to expedite the approvals, based on his experience with city government.

Adams spoke up. “We are part of the process but there was scope for the committee that was defined. We agreed, we’re here, we’re happy, well not happy but sadly, we’re moving expeditiously and through the time frame.”

He suggested there had been a change in scope, and Sheehan started to agree but Hempstead said the chairmen had decided what the committee would tackle.

“The discussion was the committee would be coming forward with recommendation relative to the land uses and the volumes by end of this month,” Sheehan said. “Then at the beginning of next month there would be a public hearing, to hear feedback to the public with regard to the recommendation relative to the committee, then to respective agencies.”

If more than just the LDA was discussed at the public hearing that would save time, as opposed to having multiple public hearings, Hempstead said. Once it goes back to the independent governmental bodies it becomes more challenging, especially with the Council and its many committee meetings, Hempstead said. But, “It’s up to you,” he said.

Hempstead asked if GGP had better presentation materials.

Hennessey said considerable work had gone into the presentation materials provided, and GGP was not looking to create new ones without a clear indication from the city that the uses it desires are wanted by the city.

Much work has been done, he said. GGP has been working to define its tenant mix and has an understanding of the “complicated” parking issues, the types of anchor stores that will work and the organization of the other stores.

“They have developed what I think is incredible plan for the West Avenue street line. I was counting up the number of pedestrian penetrations there. … I don’t think there is anything like that from what I can see, particularly in an urban setting,” Hennessey said.

GGP is dealing with tenant issues, which don’t concern the city, Hennessey said.

“Before GGP is going to get to the next step here we need to know that the city is supportive of the use and the size,” Hennessey said. “That is sort of where we are. We need some strong indication from the city before we get into issues of design because quite frankly what we are afraid of a little here is not only the expense, over our skis here on the project that we don’t really understand what the community wants, but we’re going to ultimate delay ourselves because we’re going to get stuck in issues like design.

“We understand that there’s a building going to be built here and people are going to be very concerned about what the building looks like,” he said. “There is plenty of opportunities left for us to have those discussions with the community about what the building looks like. We know, GGP knows, from its tenants that the building will be a forward-looking building, but what actually materials used on the outside is still far from decided.”