A $300 million retail development that may surpass the Maine Mall as the state’s largest shopping center was given final approval by the Westbrook Planning Board last night.
The 6-1 vote allows developers Jason Snyder and Arthur Emil to include retail on a 61-acre parcel of land that had previously been restricted to office development, the Portland Press Herald reported. Though previous public hearings on the project drew crowds of citizens speaking for or against the proposal, no citizens spoke at this final zone-change decision. Councilor Drew Gattine, an opponent of the project and the lone dissenting vote, said he thought last night was just a first reading, though the city attorney said the vote was final because councilors gave preliminary approval to the project in October.
Snyder and Emil will now focus on obtaining permits from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Maine Department of Transportation, the paper reported. Snyder told Current Publishing that, despite the downturn, he still hopes to secure high-end retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.
