Future of Trumbull Mall area up for debate

Developing a vision for what the area around the Trumbull Mall will look like in the future began in earnest this week with the launch of an online presence where residents and other interested parties can offer ideas and opinions as well as get updates about the effort.

The website is part of a larger effort that was launched by town officials at the beginning of the year to conduct a market feasibility and land use study for the area around the mall from the Merritt Parkway to the Bridgeport line, as well as from Madison Avenue to Main Street.

The study will cost $350,000, most of which was raised through private contributions and grants.

A Canadian engineering and consulting firm, Stantec, was selected through a competitive bid process to do the market feasibility and land use study, which will be completed by the end of this year.

As the study progresses, interactive features will be added to the homepage to give residents and other interested parties a chance to react to ideas and provide feedback on concepts and strategies that emerge from the process.

First Selectwoman Vicki Tesoro said the goal of the market feasibility and land use study is to position the area for growth and attract new investment.

“This area hosts our largest taxpayer, many important amenities for Trumbull and the region, and close to 3,000 jobs,” Tesoro said. “We hope as many residents as possible get involved. It is important that the community helps to drive success into the future.”

In addition to the online component, there will also be community gathering at the mall on June 20. The gathering will take place in the mall's concourse area between the Cheesecake Factory and Ulta Beauty from 4 to 7 p.m.

Progress on the market feasibility and land use study comes just five months after the sale of the mall by Parisbased Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield to the privately held Namdar Realty Group of Great Neck, N.Y.

Namdar purchased the Connecticut mall, along with the Westfield South Shore shopping center in Bay Shore, N.Y., for $196 million.

One major change in the area around the mall is nearing completion. Developer Garden Communities is in the final stages of completing a 260-unit apartment complex, The Residences at Main, adjacent to the shopping mall.

The website for the new apartment complex shows a number of the units will be available for occupancy on June 15.

Monthly rents for the oneand two-bedroom apartments range from $2,370 to $3,475.

Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media The Westfield Trumbull Mall was sold in late December to a Great Neck, N.Y., company and now a marketing feasibility and land use study is being launched in earnest.