AUBURN – When it comes to retail, not everybody thinks bigger is better.

Stone Street Limited Partnership, the developers behind the area’s latest retail center in the Mt. Auburn Avenue/Turner Street junction, are setting their sights on smaller tenants.

Like the Talbot’s, Coldwater Creek and H&R Block that have opened recently in the Topsham/Brunswick area.

“The whole purpose of the design of this site is to accommodate the tier of tenants that don’t constitute large box tenants,” said Kevin Fletcher of Millett Realty, broker for the developers. “There’s a whole slew of them … and there hasn’t been space readily available for them, but now it’s under way.”

He’s in negotiations now with four or five prospective tenants, “but none have committed as yet.”

There’s time. Crews are beginning to pour the foundations and slabs this week for six small, connected stores that anchor the eastern side of the 6.3-acre site, situated at the foot of Lowe’s. Each of the buildings has between 2,500 and 4,400 square feet of space, for a total of 20,650. Plans call for either one or two out-parcel buildings that could be developed as a separate restaurant or standalone store at 600 Turner St.

“Having the option of building one or two out-parcel buildings lets us maintain our flexibility and meet the tenants’ needs,” Fletcher said. He said discussions are ongoing with Maine-based retailers as well as national chains.

Owner Dan Thompson had announced his intention to develop the retail center more than two years ago, but Fletcher said plans were delayed by transportation problems. The tax break the city negotiated with neighboring developer George Schott allowed for road improvements to the intersection. That in turn helped pave the way for Thompson’s complex.

“The help George got to do the site across the street caused this one to happen,” Fletcher said. In 2005, the city agreed to return a portion of taxes generated by new development back to Schott in return for his initial investments and upgrades to the area. If Schott brings in a minimum of $6 million in new development, he receives 30 percent of his taxes returned over a 15-year period. If he brings in $15 million or more, it’s 40 percent.

Fletcher expects construction on the complex will be done in early 2007 and he hopes to have tenants announced by then. Construction costs are projected at $3.5 million for the in-line stores and could reach $5 million, depending on the outparcel development.