BIDDEFORD — Frappuccino fans, rejoice, because plans for a Starbucks are brewing in Biddeford.

Father-son developers Bill and Patrick Donahue, of Five Star Holdings, LLC, have submitted their plans to construct a 1,750-squarefoot Starbucks coffee shop at the corner of the Five Points Intersection at 352 Alfred St.

Plans submitted to the city by the developers call for the former D’Angelo Sandwich Shop building, currently sitting vacant at the Alfred Street address, to be razed. The parking area will be reconfigured for the coffee shop and an accompanying drive-through with additional parking.

The developers have also purchased two abutting properties, both currently residential, for use as other retail establishments. The nature of those establishments has not yet been released.

Five Star Holdings purchased the vacant building from previous owner John Poli at the end of last year for $600,000, city records show. The lot is currently assessed at $477,800.

Total cost for the coffee shop, parking lot and other commercial spaces is expected to cost upward of $2.5 million, Patrick Donahue said Friday.

The developers so far have submitted a traffic movement permit application to the Maine Department of Transportation. Donahue said this was required because the area will actually see increased visibility as a result of the former sandwich shop’s demolition.

Dan Stevenson, the city’s director of economic development, said the developers are seeking a zoning change because the secondary properties they purchased lie in residential zones. Commercial projects by ordinance are required to maintain a 30-foot vegetative buffer between residential properties, Stevenson said, but the space is not adequate at the development area to do so.

He said the developers would be meeting with the Planning Board to change the zone to mitigate this requirement, in hopes of allowing another kind of buffer such as a stockade fence to be placed between the properties, instead.

If the change is approved by the Planning Board, residents can comment at public hearings. The matter will ultimately be decided on by the City Council with further public input.

If all goes smoothly, said City Planner Greg Tansley, the developers would be set to begin work by the end of March.

Donahue, who with his father owns Five Star Auto on Alfred Street in addition to several other Biddeford properties, said he became aware Starbucks was interested in expanding to the intersection and saw development potential.

Starbucks has signed a lease with the developers, Donahue said, and if the store performs well the lease would be renewed. Donahue also said he sees the plans as a good investment in the community.

“The biggest thing is we look for projects that make sense to us, that look nice and that are going to improve the overall area,” Donahue said. “We have a lot of pride in this community. Even though we’re not from here I call it my home. I say I sleep in Scarborough and live in Biddeford.”

Stevenson also said he thinks the shop will be well-received among residents, noting the coffee shop’s popularity and the number of cars traveling through the intersection each day.

“Restaurants and companies such as Starbucks do their due diligence, and they look at their demographics and traffic flow and into where they believe it will be successful,” Stevenson said. “Their numbers show (this) would be a good location.”

Stevenson said the store would be a good investment in the local economy.

“The development office supports this development project because it’s going to drive another investment in an area that’s at Five Points. Starbucks is a very popular coffee shop that will continue to drive some more dollars into the economy,” he said.

City officials are also hoping the new store drives further development into the area, which currently hosts a number of vacant storefronts.

“Development begets development,” Stevenson said. “The hope would be that development projects such as this could help support the absorption of those existing spaces.”

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].