Groundbreaking Nears For Underground Mall

ORLEANS – Construction on the former Underground Mall off Route 6A could begin before the end of the year, according to the project’s developer.

 The zoning board of appeals on Sept. 4 unanimously voted in support of a new special permit for the project, which now calls for some commercial space in the existing mall structure to go with the proposed 29 units of housing planned for the property.

 Developer Chris DeSisto, who owns the 3.6-acre property, told the board that the modification will allow him to “preserve as much of the mall” as possible while also lessening the amount of asphalt parking needed for the project.

 With the approval, the board also revoked the special permit that it approved for the project back in February.

 The mall is composed of about 30 concrete, dome-shaped partially underground structures, all of which were intended for parking under the previous plan. But the new plan allocates 10 of the domed structures for commercial operations, most likely office space.

 “We don’t anticipate things like restaurants,” DeSisto said of the commercial use. “[It will be more] of a passive type use.” 

 The modified plan also reduced the number of buildings planned for the property from five to four. Three two-story cottage style buildings consisting of a total of 12 units will still front Route 6A. But two buildings originally planned for the rear of the property closer to the mall have been combined into one three-story building with 15 units. The 12 units fronting the property will be for sale, while the remaining 17 units will be rented, including three that will be affordable.

 Other features included in the original plan, such as a management office with two additional units and a community building at opposite ends of the mall, are still in place under the modified plan.

 The revised plan calls for 80 parking spaces, some of which will be housed in the mall and others that will be uncovered. 

“This layout, something that we feel is a real enhancement, is a lot of the parking is buried,” DeSisto said. “It’s in the mall, it’s back behind Building D.”

“It’s not visible from 6A, really,” board chair Gerald Mulligan said.

Martin Szeber of the zoning board questioned if that number was adequate given the addition of commercial space to the property.

 “In this day and age, most people have a car,” he said. “So if half your people had two people living in a unit, I’m thinking your parking’s going to be tight.”

 DeSisto said the commercial parking space will be flexible, with guests and visitors able to use the spaces after hours. He added that it is not anticipated that the 26 spaces reserved for commercial use will be in high demand.

 DeSisto bought the Underground Mall property in July 2021. He initially proposed creating 43 units of housing on the property, but later scaled the number back to 29. 

The reduction was made to accommodate septic and other features for the project, DeSisto said. At 29 units, about 20,000 square feet has to still be reserved for two septic fields, he said. 

 “Even though it’s 3.6 acres, when you actually install the infrastructure, it gets small very quickly,” he told the board. 

 Matthew Cole of the zoning board asked what flexibility there might be for converting the commercial spaces into additional housing units if needed in the future. 

 “I don’t anticipate conversion to residential,” DeSisto said, adding that the spaces more likely will be used for storage if they cannot be rented commercially.

 “I hope this happens, and I hope it can happen quickly,” Cole said in support of the project. “The town needs it desperately, the residential part anyways.”

 “I think the mixed use part of this is really good,” added board member Sibel Asantugrul.

 On Sept.5, DeSisto also received a 3-2 approval for a revised certificate of appropriateness from the Old Kings Highway regional historic district committee. DeSisto said he hopes to begin work on the project this fall, adding that he anticipates construction to take 18 months.

In an email last week, Building Commissioner Davis Walters said DeSisto had so far applied for a permit for “partial demolition of the non-structural interior” of the existing mall structure.