New Taco Bell under construction in Westville section of New Haven

Construction begins for a future Taco Bell at the Amity Plaza in New Haven. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Construction begins for a future Taco Bell at the Amity Plaza in New Haven. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: New Haven Register Photo: New Haven Register Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close New Taco Bell under construction in Westville section of New Haven 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN >> More than 15 years after closing up shop in Westville, Taco Bell is returning to the neighborhood.

Construction has started on a new Taco Bell on Amity Road inside the shopping center anchored by Stop and Shop.

City Building Official Jim Turcio on Friday confirmed construction on a new Taco Bell started shortly after its building permit was issued. Records at the Building Department show the permit was issued on August 15. Turcio said fast-food restaurants are typically completed in six months. The permits applicant was Cantina Hospitality LLC.

New Hampshire-based Hillson Contractors is building the new facility, with Arconics Architecture from New York serving as designers. The restaurant will be 2,212 square feet and include seating for 54. The restaurant will be located at 130 Amity Rd., in an area inside the Amity Shopping Center that was previously part of the center’s parking lot. Construction plans filed with the Building Department show the restaurant will sit across the existing Stop & Shop, parallel to Amity Road.

Hillson Contractors Project Manager Dan Lawn said the restaurant should be open by Christmas, with construction completed within the next 90 days and the restaurant most likely opening during the first week in December. Lawn said their company specializes in building restaurants and have built Wendy’s, Panera Bread, 7-Eleven and gas stations.

Documents filed with the building department indicate the total building cost will be $555,000. The applicants received a special exception from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals in March to allow the lot to operate with 712 parking spaces instead of the required 756 spaced under city ordinances.

The city’s only current Taco Bell is on Foxon Boulevard.

A message left at Taco Bell’s media relations line was not immediately returned.

Taco Bell previously had a restaurant at nearby 1475 Whalley Avenue. That location closed in the early 2000s.

Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901