New Development coming to Cheshire, Connecticut

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W/S Development Group is scheduled to break ground on a new retail project dubbed The Outlets at Cheshire in The Spring of 2014 with a opening slated for The Summer of 2015. It will be located on Highland Avenue (Route 10) just over the border from Southington.

http://www.shoppesatcheshire.com/index.html

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http://www.cheshirecitizen.com/news/allnews/3622334-129/designs-for-major-cheshire-outlet-center-revealed.html

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Tanger has now partnered with WS Development on this project. It will be Tanger's 3 Outlet Mall in CT. They already own the Outlet Center in Westbrook and they're developing a second at the Foxwoods Casino.

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W/S Development has canceled its plans to build an outlet mall in Cheshire, Connecticut. Monday's announcement comes 9 months after Tanger got divorced from W/S on this project.

From MYRECORDJOURNAL.COM

Cheshire outlets plan scrapped by developers

Published: August 3, 2015 | Last Modified: August 4, 2015 10:04AM
By Jesse Buchanan Record-Journal staff

CHESHIRE â€" Developers dropped plans for a north Cheshire shopping center after failing to attract retailers.

Representatives of W/S Development Associates told town officials late last week the plan was being scrapped. The group had planned a $100 million, 510,000-square-foot retail center off Interstate 691 and Route 10. About 65 stores were proposed.

W/S officials also cited the slow recovery from the 2008 recession as a reason for canceling the project, according to Town Manager Michael Milone.

While retailers were interested in what would have been The Outlets at Cheshire, Milone said W/S officials couldn’t secure contracts with potential tenants.

“Continuing speculation of similar projects being discussed for East Hartford and South Windsor created a paralysis for these potential retailers to convert their interest into a formal contract,” Milone said.

In December, Tanger Factory Outlet Centers pulled out of its partnership with W/S Development Associates. Developers didn’t give a reason for Tanger’s decision.

Jerry Sitko, the town’s economic development coordinator, said the collapse of the W/S project was unfortunate.

“This project has been ongoing for nearly 10 years,” he said.

Sitko had no doubt that the valuable land would be developed, though.

“Ultimately that land will be built upon. What will be built upon it has yet to be determined,” he said.

The land is owned by Tri-Star Development LLC, a Manchester company. W/S had an option on the land according to Sitko.

Sitko and Milone were optimistic about the project in December despite news about Tanger.

W/S project manager Jeff Curley didn’t return a call for comment Monday.

Sheldon Dill, Cheshire Chamber of Commerce president, said W/S could have brought many shopping and employment opportunities to town along with tax revenue.

“I think it’s a little disappointing,” he said. “Many of us were looking forward to it.”

Business owners were divided over whether the retail center would have helped them, however.

Some felt that the outlets would have been a draw and attracted more customers to town, Dill said, but others feared the addition of 65 more shops would draw away customers from existing businesses.

Dill said it’s unlikely that another retail center will try for the same property near the highway.

“I don’t see someone picking up and trying to do the same thing,” he said.