A new development project application proposes to build 128 units of multi-family housing next to a shopping center on Route 111.

BVH Biddeford is a company that owns a shopping center at 420 Alfred Road, or Route 111. According to preliminary documents, the property owners want to build to the northeast of the shopping center and graft an access road onto the end of the existing Edwards Avenue.

The city council is expected to take its first public look at the proposal at its meeting on Tuesday but won’t act until the planning board reviews and approves it.

“We understand that it is too early for a formal vote on the topic, but we believe that it is the right time to begin the conversation and work with the city to develop a plan that will benefit the city and its residents,” the applicants wrote in a memo to the council. 

The project, according to the initial documents, will require a change in zoning to permit multi-family housing to be built there, but the developers said they believe the city will want to accommodate.

The developers cited the city’s 2023 comprehensive plan, which they say their proposal matches perfectly. The plan, which serves, in part, as a guide for future development, calls for “Higher density housing and mixed-use development along key corridors (Route 1, Route 111) ... .”

“We believe that this site and project meet the core goals of the city’s Comprehensive Plan and offer an excellent opportunity for the future of Biddeford,” the developers wrote.

The council is expected on Tuesday to pass the proposal to the planning board for further consideration.