A large Pike Industries property on Main Street in Westbrook could be sold this year, with a development in the works that features large retailers and restaurants.

Jeffrey Gove, of J&J Gove Development, told the American Journal Wednesday that his development team hopes to acquire the property, which features a large gravel pit, by the end of this year.

He said the design is only a concept at this time, but said he’s in discussions with large retailers, some of which do not currently have a Maine location. Gove said he couldn’t reveal the identities of the possible tenants.

Depending on the eventual tenants, Gove estimated the overall project to be between 450,000 to 550,000 square feet. The concept design shows at least four restaurant spaces, a number of retail spaces of various sizes, and a proposed “wholesale club” with a gas station.

“I think it will be a nice addition to Westbrook, but there will be a lot of work until we actually get a shovel in the ground,” he said.

City Planner Molly Just confirmed the development concept Wednesday, stating that Gove met with Westbrook city staff recently for a “formal preliminary concept review meeting.” Just said nothing has been submitted for Planning Board review.

The Pike Industries plot, formerly owned by Blue Rock, has served as an asphalt facility for years, with a deep gravel pit centered in the lot.

Gove, whose development team is based in New Hampshire, said a purchase and sale agreement is being worked on with Pike, and in the meantime he’s been in discussions with the Maine Department of Transportation, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and others to move along the permitting process.

Calls to Pike Industries in Westbrook were not returned by 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The concept shows three large retail spaces with parking lots on the parcel between Main Street and Larrabee Road. Next to the development is the gravel pit, which, Gove said, would eventually become a lake. He said a specialist working on his team estimates that the pit would fill naturally with water in about five years.

“It will become a pretty nice amenity for the project, which is why we’re designing everything around it,” he said.

Gove’s development company has produced a multitude of projects in Maine, and still owns the Falmouth Shopping Center in Falmouth, which features Staples and other stores. He said he’s been monitoring Pike’s property and discussing plans with the company for about seven years.

After his meeting with Westbrook city staff, Gove said the city has been great to work with so far, but said they are “cautiously cooperative.”

“I only say ‘cautiously’ because this is a big project,” he said.

The large majority of the property is in Westbrook, with the Portland line cutting through the gravel pit near Interstate 95.

Gove said he expects a formal submission to the Westbrook Planning Board is still a number of months away.

For more details on this story, see the April 2 American Journal.