Celebration of rejuvenated shopping center featured time capsule dedication and ribbon cutting ceremonies with community and business leaders
It’s no secret that a healthy and vibrant downtown is key to a strong community. That was the theme as retailers, development team members and political and community leaders gathered to celebrate the official Grand Opening of Chelmsford Town Center.
In 2013, Winstanley Enterprises (Concord, MA) purchased the largely dormant former Stop & Shop/Marshall’s plaza and committed $4.5 million towards reconstructing the 8.5-acre 60,000-plus square foot site into a fresh vibrant retail destination.
Construction kicked-off in December of 2013, and retailers have opened at different stages of development. The official Grand Opening event was hosted to celebrate and recognize the collection of retailers.
“We worked hard to develop a strong lineup of unique destination tenants,” said Winstanley Enterprises Principal Adam Winstanley. “All of the retailers that you see here today are here because they want downtown Chelmsford to be their home, and they want Chelmsford Town Center to thrive.”
State Senator Mike Barrett, State Representatives Cory Atkins, David Nangle, Tom Golden and Jim Arciero, representatives from Congresswoman Nikki Tsongas, Town Manager Paul Cohen, Community Development Director Evan Belansky, Pat Wojtas of the Chelmsford Board of Selectmen, members of the Fire and Police Departments, town and business leaders and members of the Chelmsford Village Master Plan Committee headlined a group of dignitaries joining Winstanley Enterprises and retailers for this official milestone.
“This is a great day for the economic vitality of downtown Chelmsford,” said State Representative Jim Arciero. “We offer sincere congratulations for this team effort, and welcome this strong group of retailers to Chelmsford.”
Current retailers include ChoiceFitness, NOBO Restaurant and Bar, Dunkin’ Donuts, A’Gaci Nails and Spa, Pita Greek Restaurant, Andiamo Restaurant and Bar, Loch Ness Playcenter, and Fantastic Sam’s Hair Salon and Barber Shop.
The event featured a time capsule dedication which included each of the retailers placing items into the capsule including a David Ortiz “Big Papi” koozie, a nail care kit and hand lotion, t-shirts, menus, bumper stickers, key tags and other fun branded items. The town of Chelmsford provided a “key to the town” and proclamations presented from the Congress, State Senate and House of Representatives were placed into the time capsule. Past news coverage of the development frommedia outlets was also placed in along with daily newspapers. The capsule will be buried at a later date and unearthed 20 years later.
“We couldn’t be more excited about what this location offers Chelmsford residents,” said Town Manager Paul Cohen. “These are top-tier retailers, and they each contribute greatly towards our goal of creating a thriving downtown.”
The event also featured an official ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the retail shops.
Based in Concord, MA, Winstanley Enterprises, LLC. is a vertically integrated commercial real estate developer and investor, operating primarily throughout the Northeast United States. The company has developed a strong reputation for transforming underperforming retail centers into vibrant shopping destinations. Winstanley’s experienced in-house asset management, construction management and property management teams have direct oversight and control of acquisition, development and repositioning activities for its property portfolio. This hands-on approach allows Winstanley to deliver a consistently superior level of service to its clients and tenants. The company’s portfolio currently consists of a wide variety of commercial properties, including retail, biotechnology, industrial/warehouse and R&D.
