News story made available courtesy of Times Herald-Record

Highland project slated for Route 299

Saturday, November 3, 2007

By Michael Randall
Highland — It's so early in the approval process that not everyone at Town Hall has heard of Highland Square yet.

But if it gets approved, it'll get noticed. And not just by Town of Lloyd residents but, the developers figure, by the thousands of commuters and other travelers who come through here every day.

Highland Square is Dutchess County-based developers Fred Straub and Michael Barnett's proposed 160,000-square-foot commercial complex, planned for 22 acres at the northwest corner of the intersection of Routes 9W and 299. The same developers already are building 216 condominiums on Vineyard Avenue for the 55-and-older crowd with active lifestyles.

By far the biggest store on the Highland Square complex would be a 64,350-square-foot anchor store at the back end of the property. David Livshin, president and CEO of the Dagar Group Limited of Fishkill, which is leasing the property, said the anchor tenant could be a department store, but the developers are not locked into that.

"We're having discussions with supermarkets. We're talking to hotels, and a movie theater chain," said Livshin. "We've also talked to two national chain retailers."

At the back end, between the anchor store and Route 9W, would be four 1,200-square-foot buildings with a mix of commercial and office space; one would be two stories high, the others one story.

In the foreground, closer to Route 299, would be four more stores, suitable for tenants such as a bank or a sit-down or fast-food restaurant.

The developers have been to the Planning Board a couple of times already with some rough sketches of what they want to do. Sandra Avampato, an administrative assistant and staff planner in the Planning Board office, said the developers are going through a lengthy checklist of standards required of every plan submitted, and are tentatively scheduled to return to the board in January with more detailed plans.

Livshin said the project will be privately financed. He couldn't put a dollar figure on the project but called it "a substantial investment."

Livshin said the location is ideal for grabbing commuters headed either north to Kingston or south to New Paltz, especially on their way home in the evening.