Developers eye Connecticut Post Mall for luxury apartment plan

For years, the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford has been a place to shop, eat and enjoy entertainment – now the owners want to make it a place to live as well.

News 12 Staff

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Aug 13, 2020, 10:15 PM

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Updated 1,351 days ago

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For years, the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford has been a place to shop, eat and enjoy entertainment – now the owners want to make it a place to live as well.

Centennial, a Dallas-based developer, has proposed a plan to add a residential community with 300 luxury apartments. It would need zoning regulations to be changed in order to move forward.

Mayor Ben Blake opposes the idea, saying it would shift the balance between residential and commercial development.

“It would open up Pandora’s box because it would allow for multifamily residential along that whole stretch of our commercial corridor,” says Mayor Blake. “It’s going to make that section of Milford look like Co-op City."

It's no secret that malls across the country have been dying as online shopping continues to grow. The coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated the challenges.

“If we don't do anything about it, we're going to end up in trouble and this is our first step in terms of trying to revitalize the property,” says Jon Meshel, the senior vice president of Centennial.

Centennial says it's open to adding work spaces to the property in the future but the company's research shows this is the best opportunity for reinvention right now.

Centennial officials say getting approval to move forward is a two-step process beginning in September. That's when the project goes before the Planning and Zoning Board. If successful, construction would start in 2022 and wrap up the following year.