New London ― The city’s first recreational cannabis retail shop could open as early as next week, store officials said Monday.

The Higher Collective group recently announced it would open a downtown location this fall at 595 Bank St. through a partnership with Curaleaf’s Joint Venture, a national company which operates a medical marijuana dispensary and adult-use cannabis sales outlet in Groton.

On Monday, the storefront’s 12-space parking lot was full as employees took part in an orientation meeting inside the former pawn shop.

General Manager Andrew Lucero, an Albuquerque, N.M., native, said the shop will employ “no more than 20 people” to start and will be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Nothing’s been set in stone yet, but we could open next week,” Lucero said. “I’m ecstatic. We’re excited to be social equity partners and being a part of this community.”

Lucero said construction crews spent weeks tearing down and rebuilding the store’s 2,500-square-foot interior.

“It’s almost a new building,” he said. “It was a lot of work.”

Store expects 250 daily shoppers

The Higher Collective group opened its first drive-through location in Killingly on Oct. 7 and its Willington store opened for business a week later. The group plans to open a Hartford location in the coming weeks and three other Connecticut stores by early next year, company officials said in a news release.

The New London store, like its sister locations, will offer a variety of cannabis products, from flowers and edibles to pre-rolled packs and concentrates, all with varying levels of THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis.

The store expects to serve an average of 250 customers daily ― or about 25 per hour ― with up to 30% more foot traffic expected in the first few weeks of operations, according to a planning application submitted to the city in February 2022.

The store will feature traditional sales counters and three dedicated pre-order areas. Customers will enter and exit through the main Bank Street door and any customer overflow will be managed by a security guard or team member.

“The staff will be well equipped to service customers quickly, thereby reducing wait times and preventing lines from forming,” the application states.

When customers enter, a staff member will check their identifications to ensure no one under 21 enters. Surveillance cameras will be in place inside and outside.

The store was purchased for $450,000 by the collective under the name 595 Bank NL, LLC in December 2022 from Maison Investments, LLC, according to city records.

Higher Collective bills itself as an “industry-shaping cannabis retail brand” created by a coalition of industry veterans focused on social equity issues.

Low-key opening

Except for a brief mention in an Oct. 3 news release, there’s been little advance fanfare over the imminent Bank Street opening.

Police Chief Brian Wright said he’d had no conversations with Higher Collective officials as of Monday morning about any grand opening police coverage. Mayor Michael Passero on Monday said he and his staff met with Curaleaf principals several times as the company searched for a New London store location.

“I haven’t heard from them for months and the city’s side of the job was done when they received a zoning change approval last year,” he said.

The Planning & Zoning Commission in September 2022 amended a zoning regulation that allowed the Bank Street shop to operate not far from the B.P. Learned Mission property on Shaw Street.

The commission previously passed regulations that allows the cultivation and retail sale of cannabis in many sections of the city, provided the stores are far enough away from schools, libraries and recreational facilities.

Passero said the incoming cannabis business will mean a new revenue stream funneling into the city’s coffers.

Under state regulations, municipalities with cannabis retailers, hybrid retailers or micro-cultivators receive revenue from a 3% municipal sales tax on cannabis, according to the state Office of Legislative Research.

“And the good part for us is we don’t need to wait on the state to get that money since it comes to us directly,” Passero said.

He said it’s too early to predict the exact amount the city will receive.

Plans for a second New London cannabis retail operation that received city zoning approval earlier this year are moving forward, said applicant Andrew Simonow, of 6 West Ave., LLC.

Simonow received permission in January to relocate his proposed recreational marijuana retail business from 436 Broad St. to 449 Colman St., currently an empty grass lot he will initially lease.

In approving the move, the Planning & Zoning Commission set a January 2025 deadline to construct the building and receive a state cannabis retailer license.

“We’re about a month away from breaking ground and are hoping to open in six months,” Simonow said, noting his business will offer a product delivery option.

He said the plan requires multiple inspections by state Department of Consumer Protection officials throughout the construction process.

The Bank Street store will be the fourth retail cannabis shop in the region behind those in Norwich, Uncasville and Groton.

j.penney@theday.com