The proposed plaza would have 21 retail stores.

BIDDEFORD (AP) – A Massachusetts developer is proposing to build a shopping plaza near the Maine Turnpike interchange that would have 21 retail stores, five restaurants, a bank and a service station.

Packard Development of Newton, Mass., submitted the plan for The Shops at Biddeford Crossing on Friday with the Maine Department of Transportation.

As proposed, the development would have four entrances from Route 111, have 460,000 square feet of space and include two big-box stores, possibly a Target department store and Lowe’s home improvement center, the Journal Tribune reported.

It is proposed for an 80-acre piece of land between Route 111 and the turnpike, and is thought to be the largest commercial development ever in Biddeford and among the largest in York County. It would be more than twice the size of the Biddeford Gateway Center across the street, even after a Kohl’s department store and Applebee’s restaurant join the existing Home Depot.

“It’s a large project,” said Robert Dodge, the city’s director of economic development.

Packard’s plans, which do not identify the stores by name, were filed Friday with the state as part of a traffic permit application. The plan calls for two of the retail stores to be larger than 124,000 square feet, and the other stores to be between 1,500 and 28,000 square feet.

The company has not submitted plans to the city, but Dodge said its representatives have met with city officials and the City Council to discuss the project.

Packard Development tried last year to buy land from the city in the Exit 4 business park on Route 111 in an effort to find a site for Target and Lowe’s stores.

When that plan met opposition, the company turned its attention to acreage offered by the New Life Christian Fellowship.

The Fellowship, with plans to build a 4,375-seat church near Andrews Road, announced earlier this year that it would sell land to the Massachusetts firm. Other land owners also agreed to sell property to Packard.

The Shops at Biddeford Crossing would continue the ongoing transformation of Route 111 near Maine Turnpike Exit 4 into a major regional retail center serving shoppers from throughout southern Maine.

Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Shaw’s have recently built new stores along the strip. Wisconsin-based Kohl’s will open its first Maine store in an 88,400-square-foot building under construction next to Home Depot.

“The main thing that is attractive about (Route 111 in Biddeford) is its proximity to the interstate,” said Bob Frazier, whose company, WS Development of Newton, Mass., is building the Kohl’s. “That’s becoming a strong retail market.”

Packard Development has built projects across southern New England and has recently turned its attention to seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine.

The company built a 282,300-square-foot retail development in South Portland that is anchored by Target and includes Bed Bath & Beyond, Old Navy and other stores.

AP-ES-11-24-03 1200EST