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Wendell clears rezoning and development agreement for 3rd Street Apollo mixed-use project
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Summary
The Wendell Town Board approved rezoning about 4.15 acres for the 3rd Street Apollo downtown redevelopment and adopted a development agreement with Hollybrook Partners that outlines town and developer responsibilities for streetscape, parking and stormwater improvements.
Wendell — The Wendell Town Board on Wednesday approved rezoning of roughly 4.15 acres to a downtown mixed-use conditional district and adopted a developer agreement with Hollybrook Partners to enable the 3rd Street Apollo redevelopment.
Staff described the project as an adaptive reuse and infill redevelopment that would remove roughly 6,000 square feet of existing building, create two new buildings and an open plaza, and provide space for restaurants, shops, small-scale manufacturing and civic uses. Staff said the redevelopment aligns strongly with goals in Blueprint Wendell 2030 to energize downtown, implement streetscape improvements, and create activity nodes.
Applicant representatives emphasized historic preservation, planned public-private partnerships for parking in the railroad right-of-way and coordinated streetscape and stormwater improvements. "We are redeveloping the streetscape that's on the developer's dime on the 3rd Street side," one applicant representative said, noting the developer's investment in stormwater infrastructure and planned public parking leased from the railroad.
The board discussed timing and coordination between the town's public works (Pine Street improvements) and the developer's site work; staff said capital projects have been included in the recommended budget and the town's planned projects are synchronized with the development's phasing. Local business owners attending the hearing expressed strong support for revitalizing downtown.
The board voted to approve the rezoning and then approved the development agreement by voice vote. The agreement includes provisions for streetscape improvements, a town-constructed parking lot on railroad property, cooperation on stormwater controls, and shared grant applications for public art and activation efforts.
What happens next: the developer expects to move ahead on construction drawings and coordinated town improvements; the development agreement schedules timing and allocation of responsibilities and allows the town to leverage existing economic development incentives and grants to support tenant improvements.
