Preston — A series of public meetings have been firmed up as town and Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority officials near the Feb. 19 deadline for finalizing a proposed purchase and sale agreement for the former Norwich Hospital property in Preston.

The schedule has been pushed back slightly, Preston Redevelopment Agency Chairman Sean Nugent told the Board of Selectmen on Thursday. The PRA hopes to finalize negotiations with tribal officials Monday and vote on a final Property Disposition and Development Agreement at a special meeting Wednesday.

Public informational meetings to discuss the proposed purchase agreement are now expected to be held Feb. 9 and 11 — a week later than originally planned — a town meeting on Feb. 16 and a referendum for voters to approve the agreement on Feb. 28. Times and locations for the public meetings were not set as of Thursday night, Nugent said, and will depend on availability of the Preston Veterans' Memorial School and Preston Plains Middle School for the meetings, which are expected to draw large crowds.

Tribal officials unveiled conceptual plans Jan. 17 that call for $200 million to $600 million in development, including a 40-acre theme park, indoor water park, outdoor adventure park, a synthetic ski facility, hotels, a major chain outdoor sports retailer and a sports training complex.

The state Bond Commission, which canceled its January meeting, will hold a special meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, with approval expected for the $10 million pledged by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to complete the cleanup of the former state hospital property.

The state funding is a critical first step in the proposed agreement between the tribe and the town that would call for turning over the 393-acre property to the tribe once the cleanup is completed.

The PRA has been holding frequent closed-door meetings in recent weeks to discuss the draft agreement, with another closed-door meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Preston Town Hall. Nugent said no votes are expected at Friday's meeting.

Nugent said town officials learned this past Monday that the town also must take one more required step in finalizing the development plan. The PRA must vote to officially adopt the Mohegan tribe's conceptual plan, which lays out proposed uses at specific locations on the former hospital campus, as the town's final master plan for the property.

The Planning and Zoning Commission must first approve the master plan, and is scheduled to discuss and vote on it Wednesday. The PRA has scheduled a public hearing on the master plan for Feb. 23 and would plan to vote to adopt the master plan following the public hearing, Nugent said.

On March 1, Nugent said, “the real work begins,” referring to the start of the final cleanup phase of the property. State bond money is not expected to be available immediately, however, he said. State officials first must approve a final remedial action plan before demolition and ground cleanup can resume. Nugent anticipates work to resume in the second quarter of 2017.

c.bessette@theday.com