AUBURN – The Auburn Mall area is on target for between 400,000 and 450,000 square feet of new development in the near future, according to information given to city councilors and the Planning Board at a workshop session Monday night.
Representatives of development and traffic consulting firms told city officials at the joint meeting that 19 separate sites were included in studies of project potential.
Roland Miller, Auburn’s economic development director, said some of those projects are expected to be under construction soon. Their value would approach $16 million, he said.
The workshop meeting was held to present a vision of infrastructure improvements necessary for development in the mall area to continue.
Using a real-time computer simulation model of vehicles moving through the intersection of Turner Street and Mount Auburn Avenue, and running a similar model with traffic as it would be with build-out of all the possible projects, a traffic consultant suggested several improvements that would be needed to accommodate the growth.
Tom Gorrill of Gorrill-Palmer Consulting Engineers said additional lanes are needed, including two left turn lanes instead of the present single lane turning from the bridge onto Turner Street and heading toward downtown.
He also proposed a “roundabout” at the section of Turner Street where a lane now goes into the Auburn Mall parking lot on one side and traffic moves to the new Lamey-Wellehan building and the under-construction Kohl’s site on the other side.
A roundabout is not a rotary, Gorrill emphasized. He explained that it is a tighter circle that causes traffic to slow down but keeps it flowing.
Roundabouts are more common in other states, but some examples can be seen in Kennebunk, Gorham, South Portland and Biddeford.
Showing serious congestion at the Turner Street and Mount Auburn Avenue intersection in the animation, Gorrill said, “We are coming close to gridlock under current conditions.”
Mike Gotto of Technical Services Inc., listed the 19 different sites where development has been proposed or is possible.
Among the parcels he cited is land where Gracelawn Road intersects with Turner Street. It could support about 70,000 square feet of a use such as an office building, he said. That would be on land known as the former G.A. Peterson property.
Across that intersection, there could be another 19,000 square feet of retail use, he said.
About 100,000 square feet of development could take place on the north side of King’s Way, the Shaw’s Supermarket and mall access road, where a house was demolished a few months ago.
For reference purposes, Gorrill said the Auburn Mall is about 341,000 square feet.
Another possibility would be a site for a restaurant or other use on the Center Street side of the mall parking area, he said.
Other sites on Turner Street were outlined, as well as possibilities for projects next to B.J.’s, adjacent to the new Kohl’s department store, south of the Lowe’s and Wal-Mart access road on Turner Street, and in the newly developed area where Longhorn Steak House and the Ruby Tuesday restaurant are located.
Councilor Robert Menneally questioned Miller about possible costs to Auburn taxpayers for the street improvements. Miller said, “Auburn would be the banker,” and while there would be bonding for the work, it would be on a schedule that would allow revenue to keep pace or be ahead of debt-service requirements.
There was considerable discussion about attention to pedestrian needs. The consultants said final plans will take that into consideration.
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