Christmas Tree Shops Penciled in for Route 58

Christmas Tree Shops has expressed interest in filling one of a handful of new retail spaces drawn up for Route 58, next to Riverhead Raceway, according to the project's developer.

Though the plans still have to make their way through the site plan process, Martin Berger of Saber Real Estate Advisors said late last week he hopes to break ground on the project by the end of this year.

"We are proceeding with the site plan application process, and we believe it's variance-free and contains the permitted uses," Berger said. "So we hope to break ground by late 2012."

Planning Department records show that five spaces, comprising just under 120,000 square-feet of retail, is proposed for the 13-acre parcel, located on the south side of Route 58. Plans submitted last December show that variances may be necessary to meet impervious surface and maximum building coverage requirements.

Berger said that Christmas Tree Shops - which already has an ad out for a manager to the Riverhead location - isn't the only company that has signed on to fill space at the development. However he said he was not authorized to disclose any further details.

Initial plans show five retail spaces are drawn for the parcel, with square footage measurements of roughly 56,000; 34,000; 18,000; 7,000; and 3,500, respectively. The Christmas Tree Shops has expressed interest in the 34,000-square-foot space, Berger said. 

While Berger is aiming for a 2012 ground breaking date, the Town of Riverhead remains fighting a court battle against the former landowner, claiming that the property was illegally cleared in 2004. Larry Oxman, who was brought to court by the town along with the corporation which owned the land, Riverhead Park Corp., said that the ensuing lawsuit forced Riverhead Park into bankruptcy, at which point the current owner purchased the property from foreclosure around December of 2010.

The town originally levied over 50 violations for clearing the property, which were at one point dismissed. However Oxman said that after an appeal and further conferences, about a dozen violations remain waiting to be decided upon.

While Oxman does not expect Riverhead Park Corp. to get the land back, a countersuit against the town has been filed to the tune of $10 million seeking damages.

"The property is gone. The town's actions caused us to lose the property," he said.

Berger said as well that the lawsuits "are issues between the previous property owner and the town. We have nothing to do with that. We're a brand new entity."