Connecticut’s largest mall and Milford’s biggest taxpayer may soon have a new look and purpose: a multi-use “Live, Work, Play” facility.

The Connecticut Post Mall has lost 22 tenants since 2019. As business has fallen, so has Milford’s tax revenue. This new plan could drastically change that.

“When's the last time people got excited about going to the mall? That's what we want,” attorney John Knuff said. “It’s a fortress that was built in the 70s. None of us are doing that anymore.”

“We must offer a fun, walkable, integrated, indoor and outdoor experience that is amenitized with art, music, entertainment and vibrancy,” Centennial President Whitney Livingston said.

Milford’s Planning and Zoning Board approved unanimously, with one abstention, a regulation that paves the way for a full application toward a multi-use community at the site of the mall. It would include 750 housing units, 10% of which would be considered affordable housing.

“We have people that are living in Milford that can't afford to stay in Milford,” All In for Milford member Rachel Merva said.

Plans also include an outdoor plaza for dining, pop-up shops and events where the former Sears box store stands.

“There’s people that loiter there, there’s a lot of empty parking lot space,” Merva said. “You need to have a new way to attract people.”

City officials aren’t concerned that a new entertainment hub would negatively impact downtown Milford.

“Downtown has its own vibe, its own scene,” Mayor Richard Smith said. “People are still going to come to downtown Milford, and by introducing a new destination, it’s not one or the other, it’s just another option.”

This is the third time Centennial has applied for a reuse of the mall - and the pitch that closest aligns with the city’s own goals.

“We need to raise revenue here in Milford, and we may have to go to residential tax increases,” Smith said. “We need this development as much as they do, if not more.”