Groton — The owners of downtown Mystic's Central Hall Block are seeking permits to begin construction on a platform to house a new building, town planners said this week.

"This is still an active and alive plan," said Jonathan Reiner, Groton's director of planning and development services.   

Historic Mystic, LLC, which owns the property at 18-22 West Main St., submitted plans to build a four-story structure over the water, with six retail stores on the first floor and 12, two-bedroom condominiums on the second, third and fourth floors.

The LLC must first obtain construction permits to install pylons and build the base for the structure, said Diane Glemboski, lead planner on the project for Groton.

The Planning Commission approval in 2012 provides a five-year window for construction to be completed, with a potential extension beyond that, she said.

The former Central Hall building burned in 2000 and since then, residents and tourists have had to pass by a wooden fence while developers debated various plans to rebuild it.

Under the plans filed with the town, parking for the new building would be accommodated through a combination of spaces behind the Tift Building, or 36 W. Main Street, the lot behind the pump station off Gravel Street, and the Mystic Museum of Art, formerly called the Mystic Arts Center.

Each new condominium would have two parking spaces, or 24 total. Of those, 15 spaces would be designated behind the Tift building and nine spaces behind the pump station off Gravel Street.

The plan also would provide nine spaces at the art museum for commercial use or shoppers to the new stores.

The parking lot behind the Tift building also would provide five spaces for those living in apartments above that building.

The parking lot off Gravel Street, now open for public use, would be gated after the new building is built, Glemboski said.

Plans also call for construction of wooden walkway and deck for public access to the water.

The deck would have entrances via a ramp and stairs behind the new building, and from West Main Street between the new building and The Spice & Tea Exchange.

The deck would be 10 feet wide along the back of the new structure.

Ken Navarro, listed on plans as a contact for Historic Mystic, LLC, said Friday the company is not ready to talk about it yet.

The current owners of Central Hall Block acquired the property in 2004 under a different name, land records show.

Former owner Rufus Allyn sold 8-22 W. Main St., Mystic, to Poker Flats, LLC that year, with Brian Navarro listed as member of the LLC.

Poker Flats LLC, was renamed Historic Mystic, LLC in 2010. Brian Navarro is a principal of the LLC, and the current listed owner.

In March 2014, Brian Navarro signed a Coastal Access Easement and Maintenance Agreement with the town regarding the property.

The agreement gave Groton an easement to provide public access to the water including the Mystic River, and said the company would install and maintain a deck for public use.

d.straszheim@theday.com

Twitter: @DStraszheim