Just one developer responded to the April 30 deadline for the city’s advertisement for requests for proposals. O’Leary said the city cannot release any details of the development proposal while the vetting and negotiation process is ongoing. The developer has asked for confidentiality, O’Leary said. State law allows RFP negotiations to remain confidential until concluded. O’Leary said there is no deadline or estimate for the review and negotiation. The land, which is owned by the city, has been zoned for commercial or industrial use. It’s land the city had tried to develop for years, contemplating a mall, dog track, casino and other uses. But access to the land, which borders South Main Street, remained a huge obstacle and the political will was not there to plow through residential areas.
Developer offers to purchase land that straddles Waterbury-Naugatuck border