Council Approves Development Agreement for Town Center; requires anchor grocer, hotel, and more

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Agreement requires anchor grocer, hotel, and more

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Town Council approved a Disposition and Development Agreement which formalizes the terms under which the Town of Erie may sell the site at the northwest corner of Erie Parkway and County Line Road to Evergreen. Evergreen is the developer chosen by the Town Council to develop a new anchor grocery, hotel, civic use, other retail and commercial uses, and affordable housing on the site.

The Council chose Evergreen after reviewing responses to the Town’s Request for Proposals (RFP) in August 2022. Since that time, the Town and Evergreen have worked to refine an updated concept plan for the overall site, secured a verbal commitment from the preferred anchor grocer (to be named later), drafted a proposed land contract, and presented a draft structure for negotiations to the Town Council in Executive Session.

The new Disposition and Development Agreement formalizes the terms and conditions of the sale of this property from the Town of Erie to Evergreen and gives Evergreen contract to the land to begin due diligence, including geotechnical and environmental investigations, site planning, and development review through the Town’s permitting processes. This binding contract also allows Evergreen to then secure a binding lease with the anchor grocer for this site, with announcements to follow thereafter.

Some of the key components in the DDA include:

• By Feb. 15, 2025 Evergreen must have a signed Letter of Intent from a preferred anchor grocer.
• Evergreen will provide a minimum of 12% affordable housing units within the residential portion of the plan area.
• By Feb. 15 2026 Evergreen must have a signed Letter of Intent from a preferred hotel operator and have secured all necessary permits to begin construction.
• Evergreen must prioritize local/regional or small businesses for the commercial sites over national chains.
• More listed in the official Agreement.

Background

In 2019 the Town hired a consultant to facilitate a community engagement process as part of the planning for a future Town Center. The resulting plan from that process reflects the principles of walkability, connectivity, and building community by integrating recreation, shopping, dining, work, and community activities. The Erie Town Center Plan and Planned Development (PD) Guide responds to the market demand for commercial uses and housing, includes a medium-sized grocery store, while also provides for future growth as the popularity and demand in Town Center increases over time.

To speed realization of this vision, the Town purchased the 19.41-acre parcel on the northwest corner of Erie Parkway and County Line Road on May 31, 2022. The intent was to recruit a new developer and jump start development on that corner across from the Erie Community Center. The Town Center plan specifically identifies a medium-sized grocery store, a hotel, and civic uses as anchors on this parcel, with other mixed-use and commercial uses throughout. Anticipating this development, other property owners nearby have begun construction on sites they own (Erie Four Corners and Erie Commons) or have approved development plans and are about to begin construction (Ranchwood).