News FIle Photo Alpena Public Schools Transportation Facility is pictured in September 2020 at its location at 1357 M-32 W.

The developer hoping to turn Alpena Public Schools’ transportation facility into an Aldi grocery store is asking Alpena Public Schools for more time to develop plans for the project.

The developer, Vautgrand Holdings, would like the school board to extend until Feb. 15 the deadline to get the plans to the school district to Feb. 15.

APS officials and the developer have a preliminary purchase agreement that would require the developer to construct a new transportation facility behind Alpena High School, near Wildcat Stadium, in order to acquire the district’s existing transportation facility on M-32.

Gordon VanWieren, the district’s attorney, on Monday told the board’s Property Committee the developer would be unable to meet the deadline.

VanWieren said one of those issues is how the developer is going to front the money to construct a new transportation facility without having title to the current transportation facility property.