"We're following this application"
Not online, but in today's NHR, is what I believe opponents of the ND will find to be music to their ears:
I've never followed "development" so closely. But obviously this is a high stakes game. If the proposed ND is 500,000 square feet, and Westfields spent $1,000,000 to stop Galleria... then the equivalent would be about $300,000... just to stop the ND proposal... and that doesn't even get into the residential component which will certainly have other people interested in the outcome.For now, mall operator Westfield Corp. is only an interested party in proceedings before the Planning and Zoning Commission regarding plans to build a 500,000-squarefoot shopping center and residential complex near Interstate 691.
But if history is any indication, the Australian company is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the market that its Westfield Meriden mall has to itself, including going to court to block the project being proposed by W/S Development of Newton, Mass.
Westfield submitted three reports to the PZC this week questioning the impact of the W/S Development project. The reports question how the project would affect the town’s longterm economic outlook, its overburdened wastewater treatment system and the water quality of Ten Mile River, which runs down the middle of the property.
“We’re following this application as an interested corporate citizen in the region,” said Katie Dickey, a spokeswoman for Westfield America, in California. “We will continue to ask questions and raise issues.”
When faced with a similar threat to the market area of its Westfield Connecticut Post mall in Milford from the proposed Galleria at Long Wharf in New Haven six years ago, Westfield filed 15 lawsuits to stop the project and spent $1 million lobbying state legislators to kill the New Haven mall. (by Luther Turmelle)
Tim White
Town Council, 4th District
11 comments:
this is the market economy at work. If you like the market economy and you are a republican who is always touting the market economy then you would think the the westfield people would have to just compete-let the buyers sort it out-the market always makes the right decision-unless of course you are a CAVE man and will forget your talk of the market economy and do the political thing
Not sure who the neanderthal (9:59) is, but he has successfully turned your blog into his personal, childish prank rather than the worthwhile discussion that it could be. Can you block comments by IP address?
I agree, the costant CAVE man reference is getting old.
...along with the personal attacks. Let's discuss issues, not people.
Well heres a thought, how bout citizens who support the North end development band together and organize a boycott against westfield mall and its merchants? How about we start writing letters to the corporate offices of the major tenants and explain how much we dislike the westfield management sticking its nose in here? This isnt about westfield being concerned with the environmental impact, this is about them worrying about their own business interests despite what might be good for the local community...
I like the market approach
It works very well
And if you dont like it
You can all go to
Shaving cream......
Of course they're going to get involved. Get your head out of the sand. They're competing for the same customers in a 15 mile radius. One advantage they have is in the winter with the cold and weather we've had the past two days, where are people going to shop indoors or out?
11:55... I know that others have the ability to block IP addresses via their websites, but I have no idea how to do that through my blog... which is free... so I doubt I do have that capability.
As well, I believe that depending on the ISP, IP addresses can change fairly often.
The owners of Westfarms sued the hell out of West Hartford over Blue Back Square and failed.
The bottom line for Westfield is top end retail doesn't work at their Meriden mall. Lord and Taylor failed and there is a paucity of real top end specialty shops. They no doubt fear a top end specialty shop center would draw well from their present customer base, many of whom would rather not wade through crowds of bored and broke teenagers looking for a public indoor space to hang out.
It is our decision, the people of Cheshire, to develop the north end in this way. I will be very upset if a group from out of town is going to flight our decision. I would hope that if they fight our decision, the people of Cheshire would go to either Waterbury or West Farms and not go to Westfiled. They should leave us alone.
The North Interchange Shopping Mall
Unexpected Consequences for Cheshire?
The current proposal to build a shopping center and approximately 160 residential units, in the northern interchange zone, requires a change to the zoning to allow mixed use. The land that this would occupy is approximately 100 acres, and is a quarter of the 400 acres that comprise the interchange zone. The change to the zoning that is being contemplated is not just for the proposed 100 acres for the shopping/residential development, but it is for the entire 400 acre zone. The result is it will be easier for other developers interested in developing the remaining 300 acres of the zone. Once the zoning has been changed, other developers can approach the town with other mixed use proposals for other interchange parcels, and if they are rejected would stand a much better chance of the town being over-turned in court. Can anyone, including the town attorney, guarantee that the text change will not result in the development of the entire inter-change zone into housing and/or retail?
Email bestgrowth@hotmail.com
Al Sanders
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