The Redevelopment Agency is giving a developer and downtown property owner 60 days to come to an agreement or a concept plan for the former Mangos Bar and Grill could be scrapped.
The agency at its Feb. 3 meeting passed a resolution authorizing a notice of default on the redevelopment agreement for the former Mangos property. The developer is still asking the property owner to resolve the issue and the agency can always re-designate the developer, according to Executive Director Leonard Bier, however, projects can’t be stuck on the drawing board without getting resolved. The two sides apparently have not come to terms on sale of the property. The agency had appraised the property for $795,000.
The redevelopment agreement includes specific timelines and milestones for acquisition, with the key parcel being the Mangos building on Fulton Street. The agency cannot just rescind the redevelopment agreement, Bier said. Authorizing a notice of default allows for 60 days to address the default.
City Council enters into redevelopment agreements, he said, but it’s the agency that is responsible for management of agreement. Since taking over as executive director, Bier has made a point to shorten timelines in redevelopment agreements to create a sense of urgency and avoid projects becoming stagnant.
DMR Construction Services was designated redeveloper of the properties in November 2013 (in addition to the Mangos parcel, the project would include an adjacent property and part of another). The Warwick-based firm has presented a concept for a five-story, 88-unit complex, including ground-floor retail, near the corner of Fulton Street and East Milton Avenue. The original proposal first was presented in August 2013.
The Redevelopment Agency passed a resolution at its August 2014 meeting authorizing acquisition of the property, by negotiation or condemnation, but by October 2014, the agency tabled a resolution to keep that process moving forward.
DMR is busy with two other projects, The Gramercy, a 45-unit development approved for East Cherry Street, and Poplar Court, a proposal for anywhere from 75 to 86 units on Irving Street between Elm Avenue and Poplar Street.