WATERVILLE — A Rusty Lantern Market and Irving gas station is being proposed for 222 Main St. at the intersection with North Street.

The 24-hour market would include a kitchen where food is made fresh for takeout or dining in a seating area inside that has a fireplace, according to Curtis Neufield, an engineer representing the project for First Priority Capital LLC. The Irving gas station would include three fueling pumps where six people could be fueling vehicles at one time, he said.

Newfeld told the Planning Board on Tuesday that buildings at 220, 222 and 224 Main St. would be demolished to make way for the development. The buildings contain apartments and offices and are owned by businessman Bill Mitchell.

Neufeld said Mitchell and First Priority Capital plan to work to help tenants, whose leases are up in the spring, find new places to live. Neufeld said work on the development would start as soon as possible, if approved.

“Assuming it goes into spring, these things take about six months to build, so it will probably be (completed) April to late summer of next year,” he said.

The store would be 5,150 square feet in size and the business would have three shifts with up to five employees per shift, according to plans.

Based in Brunswick, Rusty Lantern has dozens of markets in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Planning Board member David Johnson said he has been to the business’s Topsham location multiple times and was impressed with how well is it maintained all year long.

“They’re very rigorous about the maintenance and cleanliness of their shops,” Newfeld said.

But Johnson, who has advocated for more housing in Waterville, said while he is thrilled Rusty Lantern wants to develop in Waterville, he is disappointed the buildings would be demolished.

“I wish there was another location, but happy to see you guys wanting to invest here,” he said.

Newfeld said he understands some new housing projects are in the works in Waterville, but developers will try to help find alternate housing for tenants.

“We do our very best not to just displace anybody,” he said.

“That was really nice to hear,” Johnson said.

Board Chair Samantha Burdick asked for an estimated number of vehicles in and out of the property, per hour.

“They usually go just over 200 trips, peak hour,” Newfeld said. “We’ll have the full traffic count with our final submission.”

City Planner Ann Beverage said the developer would likely come back to the board for preliminary and final approval on Nov. 25 if there is a quorum, or on Dec. 9.

The state Department of Environmental Protection has approved a permit for the project, and Newfeld said he expected approval soon from the state Department of Transportation.

“Then, they just need letters from reviewers,” Beverage said Wednesday.

Those reviewers are the Waterville Fire Department, Kennebec Water District, Waterville Sewerage District and City Engineer Andrew McPherson.

Newfeld asked what the board would want to see in terms of a vegetative or fence buffer between the parcel and Pleasant Crossing, an apartment complex that abuts it on North and Pleasant streets. Burdick said she was fine with vegetative buffers as long as they are maintained and do not die. Newfeld said they typically install deciduous and evergreen plantings.

“They really are looking to make this an amenity to the neighborhood and the area,” he said.

Jorgensen’s Cafe & Deli was formerly housed in the 220 Main St. building. The business closed in 2023.

Waterville already has one Rusty Lantern, located at 288 West River Road.