Skip to main content

Ashland - Local Town Pages

Community Input Sought For Shaw’s Plaza

By Patricia Roy
Eden Properties, a national retail real estate owner, operator and developer, is making plans for the Shaw’s Plaza and looking to incorporate as much of the community’s viewpoint as possible.
The plaza is being considered for new retail businesses, as well as 120 units of mixed income apartment housing on the southern portion of the site. That part of the plaza is currently vacant retail space and parking. 
Along with these changes, plans are in the works for pedestrian and landscaping upgrades to increase connectivity to the neighborhood.
Eden Property is partnering with WinnDevelopment, a Massachusetts-based company that develops mixed income properties. 
Community input has already been sought with two Zoom meetings. Plans are due to be submitted to the planning board this fall.
The Shaw’s Plaza site is a ripe one for development, situated at the major traffic artery of Pond (Route 126) and Eliot Streets, the latter having traffic counts of 12,500 cars per day.
With 51,500 square feet, Shaw’s Supermarket is the largest retail outlet in the mall, with Walgreen’s following at 17,266 square feet.
There are 2308 households within a one mile radius of the plaza, 15,638 within 3 miles and 42,073 within 5 miles. Average household incomes range from $147,935 to $132,423.
Eden Properties also claims its public spaces are carbon neutral, focusing on energy savings in HVAC and lighting and following environmentally sustainable building practices, recycling and reducing water use, according to their website.