Developers sought to build near Bradley

Property located on Ella Grasso Turnpike

The Connecticut Airport Authority is seeking to find someone to develop a nearly 5-acre property owned by Bradley International Airport that is located along the facility’s eastern edge in Windsor Locks.

Authority officials announced Thursday they had put out a request for proposals for developers willing to enter into a long-term land lease arrangement to build, operate, and maintain a commercial venture on 4.8 acres of land on Ella Grasso Turnpike, which is also known as state Route 75. The request for proposals was posted Oct. 12 and must be received by the Authority by Dec. 6.

A meeting with developers interested in submitting proposals is scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Authority’s headquarters at 334 Ella Grasso Turnpike in Windsor Locks.

The request for does not indicate what type of commercial development the Authority is seeking to have built. The land is located less than two miles from Bradley International’s terminals and car rental facilities.

A spokeswoman for the Windsor Locks Board of Selectman said members of the governing body have not had any discussions about how the property owned by the airport will be used.

The area surrounding Bradley International Airport has seen significant development of distribution and warehouse facilities in recent years. Online retailer Amazon opened a fulfillment center during the summer of 2015 in neighboring Windsor, just 7 miles south of the airport on Route 75.

Authority officials also explored the possibility of building a 250,000-square-foot casino at the airport in 2016 as part of an effort to neutralize the economic impact of a casino being build by gaming giant MGM Resorts International in Springfield, Massachusetts.