More retail space could be squeezed in downtown near Freeport Village. Developers are working on plans to add a 13,000-squarefoot, three-story building at 56-58 Main St.

Al Yebba of Berenson Associates, the Boston-based company that owns the nearby Freeport Village Station retail complex, said his company is in the midst of buying the property from Denny Block LLC.

Berenson Associates wants to add a building on an empty lot that sits between a clapboard building housing Jones New York and Vineyard Vines, and a brick building with a Jill McGowan store. That brick building would also see upgrades, including the addition of a roof top deck.

The lot is paved in brick and features a stairway to access the lower levels of either building, as well as the shopping center beyond.

Sean Selby of Arrowstreet Architecture and Design said the lot in question is “a nice space, but it’s not utilized that much.”

The building would include a publicly accessible elevator to assist pedestrians, especially those with disabilities, in getting between Main Street and the shops at Freeport Village.

The town council on Tuesday voted to hold a hearing on Jan. 20 to determine whether to use contract zoning for the project.

It was the “very first step in a long contract zoning process,” according to Town Manager Peter Joseph.

Contract zoning was requested because the town’s zoning ordinance limits building height to 35 feet in that district.

Situated on a slope, the building height ranges between 38 and 48 feet tall.

Town Planner Donna Larson said contract zoning made sense because she said she didn’t see other locations in the district “where this would become an issue.”

The project must go through a lengthy process with town planners before it comes to the council for final approval.

While she said she was “excited by the project,” Town Councilor Sarah Tracy said she didn’t want contract zoning to be used “indiscriminately.”

Larson noted that this would be only the second time in the past five years that contract zoning was used in town. The other project was an Oak Leaf apartment building, she said.

The deal with Denny Block is not contingent on the contract zone approval, Yebba said, but noted it was necessary to form a concept plan before marketing the property to potential tenants.

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com