New mall arriving at Long Wharf

Long Wharf today

The class of 2000 has more to look forward to than just graduating in the millennium. By Christmas of their senior year, this year's freshman class should be able to visit a brand new, upscale mall just on the other side of Interstate 95.

Plans to build the "Marketplace at Long Wharf" are now official: the 150 shops, several restaurants, and four department stores will--if all goes as planned--be open for business by the year 2000.

The mall is set to be located on a 60 acre plot at the junction of Interstate 95, Interstate 91, and Route 34. Currently, the area is home to the Brewery Street post office, Pirelli Building, Connecticut Limousine, and Connecticut Freezer and Modern Food Equipment.

City officials cite the mall's intended location as one of the project's greatest assets. According to Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, press secretary to Mayor John DeStefano, Jr., 120,000 cars per day pass through the highway interchange, making it "one of busiest interchanges on the eastern seaboard." In addition, she said that the vast amounts of available property in the area will make the project less expensive and more efficient.

The Mayor's office hopes the mall will serve to connect the downtown and waterfront areas. In a press conference, DeStefano called it the "heretofore missing link between the traditional Nine Squares downtown and the city's waterfront."

Developers said it was too early to foretell exactly which stores would move in, but DeStefano said the departments stores will be of the caliber of a Bloomingdale's or Nordstrom.

A partnership that's raising eyebrows
In a press conference on Sept. 9, the mayor announced that the New England Development Corp. of Newton, Mass. and the Fusco Corp. of New Haven will be partners in building the mall. The out-of-state company will own 74 percent of the project, and take responsibility for negotiating with department stores and handling leases. The Fusco Corp. will have 26 percent interest and will oversee mall construction.

According to the Mayor's office, the team of Fusco and New England Development was selected by a committee which considered each of 10 proposals for site development. Expecting to receive only a few proposals, the Mayor's office was surprised by the number of interested companies. "It told us right off the bat that the site was viable," DeCarlo said.

The city's decision to go with the New Haven-based corporation has raised some eyebrows because the Fusco family has been a major supporter of the Mayor's campaigns. Lynn Fusco has headed the fund-raising committees for the mayor, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Senator Joe Lieberman, all of whom have been instrumental in progress on the plans.

"The Fusco Corp. has contributed to the mayor's campaigns," DeCarlo conceded. "Does that have anything to do with the decision? No. They have a great track record for development."

Although the Fusco Corp. has never been involved with building a mall of this size, it has worked on many projects throughout the city, including the Shubert Center for the Performing Arts and the Long Wharf Maritime Center, which overlooks the proposed mall site. "The Fusco Corp. has been a major builder in New Haven," DeCarlo said.

"The mayor felt that it would be to the city's advantage to have a local company involved in what would be an arduous process. Through the [Park Plaza] hotel deal we learned that dealing with an out-of-state developer is not easy."

New England Development has constructed several malls of this size and has established good relationships with several large department store chains. In addition, DeCarlo said, the company will help ensure that the downtown and the mall remain accessible to each other.

"One of the things we asked competing developers was how they would be able to link the mall with the downtown. New England Development has a history of creating transportation loops. We need to build on what already works in the downtown, which is theater and the arts and boutiques as well as residences."

Who's picking up the check?
The 100 million square foot mall is expected to cost upwards of $100 million, but New Haven officials say that the city will not have to depend on public subsidies because of its desirable, highway accessible location.

Subsidies may be available, however, to fund highway improvements and site cleanup. Chris Cooper, a spokesman for the state Department of Economic and Community Development, said that aid can be obtained "if [city officials] can validate an economic gain for the state."

Possible sources for the aid include the Department of Transportation, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Department of Economic and Community Development. The Department of Transportation has not been officially notified of mall-related funding issues, but an official said that they are already in the planning stages for Quinnipiac bridge improvements.

The ups and downs for downtown businesses and shops
Merchants and officials have mixed feelings about the effect the mall could have on downtown retail.

Alderwoman Esther Armmand (D-7) is concerned about the stability of the downtown area during the years of construction. "Neither of these areas is stable. The downtown is not stable and the Long Wharf is not developed. If that takes the focus off the downtown, it could have a negative impact on the downtown in the short-term."

In the long-run, she said, the project's effect on the downtown will depend on the "success of the planning" and the efforts to link the downtown to the waterfront site.

Alderwoman Olivia Martson (D-2) is similarly worried that focus might be taken away from downtown. "I think it's a great idea, but I am concerned about business in the downtown area, like Ninth Square and Chapel Street. I don't want to see the downtown area become more abandoned with more blighted buildings because people think the city has abandoned them."

Other officials, however, don't expect the mall and downtown to compete with one another. "This is going to be a high-end mall. The downtown is focused more on specialty shops, arts, and entertainment."

Martson also expressed concern that the plans for a mall overlook and dismiss the character of the area as a historical seaport. A "nautical approach," for instance, could be more original and interesting than another mall, she said. "I'm not sure if the mall idea hasn't had its day."

Greg Catalano of Archetype Clothing agrees that a mall may be an outdated idea for the Elm City. "I have mixed feelings about it. I don't believe in malls anymore; they're an outdated concept. I wish New Haven would focus its energy on downtown where we have Yale and the arts and specialty shops. But in terms of business, I don't think it will hurt that much; in fact it might even be good for business."

Salvatore J. Brancati, Jr., the city's director of business development, said, "We are not looking for this mall to solve all the problems of the inner city. This site is a billboard. That mall [will] become a billboard for downtown."

Although city plans and "projected dates of completion" must be taken with a grain of salt, the possibility remains that by the time the next century rolls in, Yale students will be able to kick back at the Marketplace mall when they need a break.