DeWitt continues ShoppingTown grant hearing

TOWN OF DEWITT – Prior to applying for associated funding through the Restore New York Communities initiative, the DeWitt Town Board continued its public hearing regarding the redevelopment of the ShoppingTown Mall property.
The special meeting held at 8:30 a.m. on the Monday holiday followed the Oct. 3 unveiling of conceptual plans for the proposed development, which is being called District East.
As presented through that slideshow guided by Andy Breuer of Hueber-Breuer Construction—one of the development companies composing the joint-venture firm responsible, OHB Redev—the revamping would culminate in an open-air combination of residences, retail, medical offices, a facility for academic purposes, a theater section, park space and connections to the larger surrounding trail system.
Despite the vision being progressively firmed up, there are still uncertainties that need to be straightened out before a deal is approved according to the town board.
Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko said the project timeline has yet to be determined but that it could foreseeably take five to 10 years or a length of time in between for the project to be completed.
He said the schedule is dependent on “a whole host of different moving parts,” like the specifics of contract agreements between OHB Redev and Onondaga County, the potential separation of bidding for the construction of each unique area of the development, and whether grants such as the Restore New York one in the town’s sights are procured.
With a focus on “urban centers, rural areas, and disadvantaged communities,” that particular state funding program is meant to eliminate and revitalize vacant, abandoned, condemned, surplus and otherwise blighted properties according to its guidelines.
Deputy Town Supervisor Kerry Mannion said that whatever takes the place of the shuttered shopping center will need to result from a compromise of what the project team wishes for, what the municipal boards allow, and what satisfies the community at large. Mannion said modifications to the project designs are expected to come about as the chosen developers go on to meet with the DeWitt Planning Board and gather input through additional public hearings.
Mannion further stated as an example that a 10-story, 500-unit apartment building would not be seen as suitable for the Erie Boulevard East site, while Michalenko said a strip with big-box stores would be another proposition “antithetical” to the town’s concentration on “building community,” even if enough room exists for such a plan of action.
“We want a mixed-used project that fits into the center of DeWitt,” Mannion said.
There is no word yet on what exact retailers will be included in District East, but Mannion said it may quicken the redevelopment process to include companies that are “new to town” rather than businesses waiting until a nearby lease expires to sign on officially.
On the subject of visitor volume, Mannion said he does not believe District East’s mixture of residential, retail and office buildings will bring in the same amount of people on a daily basis that ShoppingTown did at its peak.
“It’s never gonna be more than back in the ‘80s and ‘90s when they had a million square foot of retail and the place was buzzing,” Mannion said. “The economy has changed, the world has changed, the way people work has changed, but it’ll be busy.”
Michalenko said a traffic engineer will be brought on to review the project plans for District East going forward.
The video recording of the Oct. 10 special meeting can be viewed on the Town of DeWitt Facebook page.