Chili looks at new Target proposal

By ERIC WALTER
Messenger Post Staff
Posted: Jul 14, 01:00 PM EDT

The store would be just part of a larger retail complex.

After hearing Benderson Development's proposal to build a 37-acre retail complex where Chili's old town hall campus is, Chili Town Board members have many questions.

Of those, the biggest is "What will it cost us?"

"I appreciate the overview, I'd just need to have more information on the details," said councilwoman Ginny Ignatowski.

That, according to Benderson Senior Vice President Don Robinson, is perfectly reasonable.

"I'd just like to know what you think about what we want to do, what you think about us and how you'd like us to proceed," he told the board at Wednesday's meeting.

Benderson's proposal, as laid out by Robinson, would work like this; the company would buy the Old Town Hall parcel on Chili Avenue as well as adjoining land belonging to Chili Fire Department.

In return, the company would donate a larger, 47-acre Archer Road parcel to replace Memorial Park. As part of the deal, Benderson would build multiple baseball fields, basketball courts and other recreational facilities on the Archer site and pay some of the reconstruction costs to rebuild the Senior Center, Department of Public Works and other displaced town offices there. The town would pay the rest of the reconstruction costs.

Robinson plans to present a similar deal to the fire department, which is a separate municipal entity.

Benderson hopes to develop the Chili Avenue land into a 37-acre shopping complex. Preliminary plans call for two big-box size stores of about 134,000 feet – one of which would be a Target – and a host of smaller shops, restaurants and the like.

It is, as yet, unknown what effect the project would have on the Chili Commons retail complex proposed for Paul Road, which is another potential Target site. That project requires a rezoning and is stalled at the Planning Board.

As selling the town-owned land would require a townwide referendum and approval from state government, the deal could take more time and effort that is customary, Robinson concedes.

There is precedent, however, he points out. His company developed Westgate Plaza in Gates, and rebuilt Westgate Park - using just such a method.

Just how likely the new proposal is to bear fruit is also an open question. Board members say they'll need to know a lot more before saying yes. Chief among those questions is what the town's portion of the rebuilding costs be.

Robinson said he's hoping the board will appoint a liaison to help his firm work that out. Wednesday's meeting was simply the jumping off point, he said.

"I think this was a good opening dialogue," said Robinson.