LARGO – The City Commission is scheduled to decide on March 11 a proposed agreement with the developer that would put the Towne Square Mall on track for groundbreaking later this year.
The former Crossroads Mall on East Bay Drive at U.S. 19 is scheduled to open in two years, according to the developers. It will include retail shops, restaurants, professional office space and residential units.
Last year the commission refused to require a development contract for the complex $160 million project but the developer, Boulder Venture South, has requested the pact. It includes all of the agreements between the city and developer on codes that must be complied with, as well as design standards and amenities.
Among its stipulations is construction of a terminal for Pinellas Suncoast Transit buses which the developer has agreed to provide. The city and developer have agreed that, if the proposed transfer station isn’t built, Boulder Venture would pay $9 million in impact fees.
Plans call for the development to be built around an outdoor amphitheater. It will include 258 housing units, 647,000 square feet of retail space and 200,000 square feet in office space.
The developer produced an animated, 3-D video showing how the “mixed use” development will look upon completion. John Sebow, of Boulder Venture, has said he anticipated a ground breaking during 2008 and a grand opening in 2010.
