Construction on The Summit to start in March

Construction on The Summit at Fritz Farm, a 60-acre, $156 million retail, dining and house development at Man o' War and Nicholasville Road, will begin March 1, said David Silverstein, principal of developer Bayer Properties.

"We're full steam ahead with our project," Silverstein said Monday.

The shopping center, which is planned to open in October 2016, will have nearly 500,000 square feet of retail, with about 306 apartments, including 75 above retail, he said.

The goal is to have a 100-150 room boutique hotel, too, and 50,000 square feet of office space, he said.

"We are very excited about the project. All the zoning is in place, and we're at the tail end of receiving final development plan approval from the city," he said. Leasing has begun, and Bayer should announce stores and restaurants before the end of the year, he said.

"We're continuing to lease the project quite nicely," Silverstein said. "Our mission is to bring additional retail that's not in Lexington to the city."

Other Summit developments — in Louisville; Birmingham, Ala.; and Reno, Nev. — have included stores not already in Lexington, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Pottery Barn.

In March, Bayer announced that grocer Whole Foods would move in 2016 from its current spot in Lexington Green to The Summit, where it would occupy a 40,000-square-foot space.

Langley Properties, which manages The Mall at Lexington Green, has sued Birmingham-based Bayer Properties over the move.

Silverstein had no comment Monday on the lawsuit, which he said would not impede construction at The Summit.

This story was originally published September 8, 2014 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Construction on The Summit to start in March."