Milton Park Center approved for two new buildings

The Food Lion shopping center in Milton is set to expand with two new retail buildings.

Doug Liberman, vice president of Larson Engineering Group Inc., said the larger building near the center's Route 16 entrance is expected to attract a national retailer, such as Autozone or Dollar General, and the building will be designed based on the occupant. A second building, located in the parking lot near the center's Route 5 entrance, could house up to five retailers, he said, but no tenants have been secured for either building.

“This is infill to finish off the plaza,” Liberman said.

Plans for the expansion at Milton Park Center were proposed in the 2000s, but because of the economic climate, plans stalled and developers exhausted their options for time extensions. The plan presented to planning and zoning Oct. 4 is nearly identical to a plan that was on the books years ago, said commissioner Charles Burton.

Milton Planning and Zoning Commission granted conditional approval to the preliminary site plan Oct. 4.

Developers still must obtain state approvals, including from the State Fire Marshal's Office and Sussex Conservation District for stormwater management, before returning for final site plan approval. Liberman said he hopes to ask Milton for final approval before the end of the year.

Once all approvals are received, building will depend on the market and interested tenants, he said.