Simon Property Group and The Haven Group, LLC applied last evening for site plan approval before the West Haven Planning and Zoning Commission, the first entitlement step towards building The Haven, a 235,000 square foot luxury outlet center.
The project is slated for completion in summer 2020 and will transform West Haven into a retail and entertainment hub. Eighty stores and five full-service restaurants are planned.
“We are looking forward to bringing our extensive experience to this project in partnership with The Haven Group,” said Danielle DeVita, Executive Vice-President of Simon. “We are also very pleased to be working with the City of West Haven on this one-of-a-kind luxury project.”
“We are very excited to move this project forward after years of behind-the-scenes effort,” said Ty Miller, President of the Haven Group, LLC. “Today’s submission represents our best proposal yet.”
The announcement was hailed by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi as a big step toward completing the long-awaited project.
“This is a major step forward for a project of this magnitude, which lies along the eastern gateway to the city right off I-95 along the waterfront, making it a destination location that will complement three-plus miles of beaches,” Rossi said. “This prime site is also minutes from the downtown business district, regional train station, and campuses of the University of New Haven, Yale University West and Veterans Affairs Hospital. Since taking office, my staff and I have done everything we can to assist the developers, and we will continue that effort until the project is complete.”
The project, first announced in 2014 has been stalled because of many hurdles, including the purchase of several properties along the footprint. Earlier this month, one of the final properties was closed, which housed Nick’s Restaurant, a landmark in the city.
First announced as the “Water Street Project” in 1997 by then-Mayor H. Richard Borer, Jr., the site has changed names and plans over the last 21 years, including being called the “West River Project” in the early 2000s. A plan for completion was nixed by Mayor John Picard in 2006 when it was billed as a high-end residential property. Picard wanted retail/commercial/industrial use for any project.
Picard was able to begin negotiations with Simon, but the plans were not finalized until Mayor Edward M. O’Brien made the announcement four years ago.
Simon is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our properties across North America, Europe and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales. For more information, visit simon.com.