EASTHAMPTON — California developers proposing a retail and research center at the old Tasty Top site on Route 10 are the sixth — and potentially last — to pitch a marijuana business in the city.

City regulations allow for up to six marijuana businesses in the city.

With an emphasis on new product development and education, Easthampton Advanced Research Park is different from the others, said David Bouquillon. He is the managing member of the proposed business, a real estate investor and president of Laulima Development.

“Maybe someone is trying to develop an anti-arthritic cream,” he said. “Or there is a new product that might stop people from having seizures.”

“Our approach is a little different than most,” he said. “We are not only focused on the cultivation side and the retail side. I sometimes refer to this as a cannabis campus, if you will.”

The “campus” could include a Holyoke Community College program, Bouquillon said Thursday. He’s interested in getting horticulture students into his facility someday as a workforce development initiative.

HCC spokesman Chris Yurko said Thursday that Easthampton Advanced Research Park has met with Jeff Hayden, vice president of business and community services at the school. They talked about the college’s marijuana industry work skills program, its needs and the opportunities. Nothing is finalized, Yurko said.

They were introduced by Martin J. Dunn, a former Holyoke mayor and the lawyer for Easthampton Advanced Research Park, Yurko said.

Bouquillon and partner David Potter, a consultant specializing in the marijuana industry, want to build two buildings on the 34-acre site at 93-97 Northampton St. One building would be 22,000 square feet of growing, manufacturing, and research and development space. The other would be a 3,500-square-foot retail building.

The property includes a golf driving range and the closed Tasty Top ice cream stand. The land was once considered as the site of a Stop & Shop supermarket, a development proposal that withered under the weight of community opposition and delays.

Easthampton Advanced Research Park has scheduled a public outreach meeting, as required by state law at the beginning of the marijuana approval process. The meeting is at 6 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Eastworks West End Event Space, 116 Pleasant St.

Of the proposals received so far, only one, Insa, is up and running, said City Planner Jeffrey Bagg. Insa sells adult-use and medical marijuana and has a growing and manufacturing operation at 122 Pleasant St. The others are all in various stages of the regulatory process:

Verb is Herb on Cottage Street is done with its build-out and has a special permit from the city, Bagg said. It also has a provisional license from the state Cannabis Control Commission. Canna Provisions , which has one shop in Lee and another under development in Holyoke, is in the process of buying Verb is Herb.

Holistic Industries, also known a Liberty, has completed its build-out at 255 Northampton St. near the Tasty Top site, Bagg said. Holistic’s lawyer, Alan Seewald of Northampton, said Thursday the company needs a provisional license from the state to get a special permit.

Herbology Group at 195 Northampton St. hasn’t done any construction and is not permitted.

Apical at 9 Wemelco Way has a medical marijuana license but isn’t open, and Bagg said he hasn’t heard from backers for some time.

As for Easthampton Advanced Research Park, Dunn said the Tasty Top site allows a lot of road access.

Dunn also said Easthampton embraces development in a general sense.

“Easthampton is a very progressive community and a growing community,” he said.

Bouquillon said Easthampton was smart to limit the number of marijuana businesses to six.

"Too many can locate in one area. That's a problem we've seen here in California," he said.

“I don’t think the interest level is unique to Easthampton,” Bagg said. “It might seem like a lot. There is a lot of this activity around the region, if you look at Holyoke. Look at Northampton. We’re not shy about talking about it.”

Seewald said Easthampton offers cheaper rent and real estate costs than Northampton with access to the same group of potential customers.