Construction was to start this summer; one building in project leased to other business.
Plans to renovate the east side of Fayette Street, in Manlius, have slowed because of the economy, said Manlius Village Mayor Mark-Paul Serafin. The $16 million project, called VillageWalk, was expected to bring new restaurants, retailers and offices to town. A year ago, a $16 million retail-office development was proposed on seven acres along the village of Manlius’ main thoroughfare.
Construction was slated to start this summer, and developers said a year ago they had most of the office space leased.
Today, the site is untouched, with no visible sign of progress. One large building in the original project has been leased for seven years.
Officials at CBD Development LLC, the project’s developer, did not return repeated phone calls to discuss the project.
The company’s president, Courtney D. Wilson, responded in an e-mail: “At this time all we have to share is that the project is being worked on by our development team and we will provide you with information as we reach certain milestones.”
The project, called VillageWalk, was trumpeted was a way to revitalize the village with its blend of restaurants, doctors’ offices, a pharmacy and pedestrian mall with retail shops. A 350-vehicle parking lot was going to be built behind the buildings.
It would replace several village landmarks on the eastern side of Fayette Street, including the former Express Sales Lincoln-Mercury dealership, the Hollowick Candle Co. plant and the former Temple’s Dairy building .
Rumors that the project has stalemated are not true, said Manlius Village Mayor Mark-Paul Serafin. Work continues behind the scenes, although the timetable has changed, he said.
“The economy has slowed the timetable down somewhat, but CBD is still very committed to doing this in Manlius, and I’ve had no indication otherwise,” he said.
CBD is applying for state and federal grants to help with construction of VillageWalk, Serafin said.
“They won’t move forward until they’ve locked down a certain percentage of the financing,” he said.
Michael Dougherty, who was president of CBD Development when VillageWalk was announced, has since left and started his own business, The Mayflower Cos. He is proposing a retail and residential development with a restaurant and bank diagonally across the street on nearly four acres along Route 92 in the village of Manlius.
Serafin said the two projects are “synergistic” and could easily complement each other.
The Express Sales dealership, which covers a chunk of the VillageWalk project, has been leased for the next seven years to New Dimensions Inc., a wholesale distributor, based in Manlius, of promotional products, jewelry and other items.
Negotiations continue with the 8 Cent Bottle Return property owner, the mayor said. He also said another company, COR Development, is looking to develop part of the old Express Sales parking lot and the brown house next door to the lot.
“There is a lot of behind-the-scenes activity going on,” Serafin said.
Elizabeth Doran can be reached at edoran@syracuse.com or 470-3012