Image courtesy of the city of Manchester

Manchester officials hope to attract a new developer to turn the troubled Parkade site into a “high-quality” mixed-use neighborhood.

The central Connecticut city has issued a new request for proposals for the 23-acre, town-owned property at 296-340 Broad St.

The city had invited developers Michael Licamele and Harry Freeman to develop the ex-shopping mall site after an RFP process last year. Negotiations collapsed in January, however, and the city booted the pair from the project after the original development agreement lapsed and what Mayor Jay Moran characterized in a statement as the developers having “struggled to move the project forward.”

The new RFP notes that decision could create the potential for litigation from Licamele and Freeman.

The city now hopes to find a developer who can turn the site into “an achievable, shovel-ready development that generates economic activity, property tax revenue, and amenities for the community and immediate area” including a multi-use trail along a creek that forms the site’s southern border, the RFP document states.

Market-rate residential, retail, institutional and entertainment uses are encouraged, with only supermarkets of more than 30,000 square feet and “big box” retail stores of 100,000 or more square feet specifically out of bounds.

The city also hopes developers will pitch green infrastructure, energy efficiency and other sustainable development practices in their proposals, but the RFP indicates officials will be flexible on this requirement.

The Parkade site is currently vacant, with the city having demolished the buildings on-site after buying the land in 2011. The RFP states numerous government-ordered and private environmental studies have found very little to no environmental contamination.

Officials are holding an optional pre-bid site visit for interested developers on April 6, with all RFP submissions due by May 5.