Nobscot Hears Plans for Revitalizing Its Shopping Center [Video]

A boutique grocery store, like McKinnon's Market, Butcher Boy Market or The Meat House, is being consider as an anchor store for Nobscot Shopping Center, a realty firm told neighbors gathered at a meeting Thursday night.

The realty firm hired to revitalize the Nobscot Shopping Center informed more than 100 residents Thursday night it is looking at boutique grocery stores like McKinnon's Market, Butcher Boy Market and The Meat House to bring the almost empty plaza back to life, not a large chain like Market Basket. Jeff Bruk, of Wilmington-based Boylston Realty Advisors, said his firm was hired last fall by SuperValu Inc., and his making progress, albeit "baby steps" in repositioning the shopping center. SuperValu leases the shopping center from owners Andy Rose and Mark Klaman of Centercorp Retail Properties. Many in the audience were unfamiliar with meat market/grocery store suggested Bruk made. (Check out the uploaded videos on two of the stores …

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need To Know Today: Feb. 16

The realtor hired by the Nobscot Shopping Center to oversee renovation and leasing of the center will present a progress update at 7 tonight.

Our daily column, 5 Things You Need to Know Today, will help you to get your day started and offer you some fodder for water cooler conversation. 1. The Renovation and Leasing of Nobscot Shopping Center, a presentation, is scheduled for 7 tonight at 747 Water St. in Nobscot. Sponsored by the Town of Framingham Community & Economic Development department with the cooperation of Nobscot Neighbors, the event features Jeff Bruk of Boylston Realty Advisors, the realtor hired by the owner of the shopping center to oversee renovation and leasing of the Nobscot Shopping Plaza. Bruk will provide an update on the progress of the project to date. There will be an opportunity after the presentation for the community to ask questions and share ideas. 2…

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Shopping Center Owners Refuse to Meet With Selectmen

Property owners of two neighborhood shopping centers again rejected requests by the town to meet and discuss reviving the retail spaces.

Selectmen again publicly implored the owners of two distressed shopping centers in Framingham to meet and discuss what plans they have for the future of the neighborhood focal points. But the owners of the Nobscot Shopping Center on Water Street and the Mount Wayte Shopping Plaza on Franklin Street have indicated, through their agents, they have no desire or motivation to meet with town representatives, in a public forum. Alison Steinfeld, director of Framingham’s Community and Economic Development department, contacted both owners and reported to the Selectmen at their meeting this week. “The Mount Wayte owner has moved to Florida,” she told Selectmen. “They say they maintain the property and they pay taxes and they don’t see a reason to …

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Annie's Book Stop/Espresso Paulo to Close

Nobscot is losing another business. Paul Ashton, the owner of Annie's Book Stop/Espresso Paulo announced he is closing shop.

Nobscot is losing another business and soon there will be another vacant store in the Nobscot Shopping Plaza. Paul Ashton, the owner of Annie's Book Stop/Espresso Paulo announced he is closing shop. He sent an e-mail to framcom, an online community bulletin board for framingham.  "It seems that all good things must come to an end, and I'm afraid that applies to my stewardship of Annie's Book Stop/Espresso Paulo. The store is in the process of closing down. There is a need to clear all stock and fittings, so there are some amazing prices on books, retail display and coffee service equipment," he wrote in an e-mail to the list group. Ashton has been active in the community. Earlier this spring, he allowed Framingham High students to hold a …

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Playground, Garden Swap May Help To Revitalize Nobscot

Nobscot residents brainstormed ways to revitalize their village at an event on Saturday.

Community members of Nobscot gathered to brainstorm ways to solve the problems facing their village.  The small group identified the need for a playground and suggested having garden swaps and craft fairs in the parking lot of the Nobscot Plaza, among other suggestions. Alex Volfson, the organizer of the event this past weekend, split participants into small groups to discuss their personal ideas, after posing some major questions.  Questions ranged from "What would a thriving village look like?" to "Where does our food come from?" The consensus was that there is a lot of frustration within the Nobscot community.  When discussing the run-down shopping centers, Linda St. Lawrence stated, "Can you even get there?  Is it possible to talk the …

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Selectmen Want Commerical Property Owners To End Blight

Following a presentation from Community and Economic Development Director Alison Steinfield, Selectmen would like to see the Nobscot and Mt. Wayte Avenue shopping centers revitalized.

Although town officials are making headway with the Neighborhood Stablization Program and improving some of the town's homes, Selectmen want to send a strong message to two commercial properties owners who do not appear interested in sprucing up their corners of town. Following a presentation from Community and Economic Development Director Alison Steinfield,  Selectmen would like to see the Nobscot and Mt. Wayte Avenue shopping centers revitalized. Discussion of these two areas in town sparked conversation as to what means, if any, the town has to take eminent domain, or the seizing of property without the owner's consent.  "Usually we don't take things when they have deep pockets," said Selectman Ginger Esty. Neither property owner owes …

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Mark Galante

9:40 am on Monday, June 20, 2011

As a neighbor to the vacant Nobscot Plaza, member of the EDIC, and lifelong resident, I want to see this and other sites developed as well, maybe more than most. However until the anti-business policies and attitudes change to encourage and support these efforts and the commercial tax rate in this town makes it viable for property owners to be able to afford to do anything, I am afraid only the …   more ›

No Development Planned for Former Star Market Storefront

Selectmen voted to raise taxes last week, and noted that fewer businesses opened in Framingham than neighboring Marlborough.

Much to the dismay of tenants and neighbors, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for the Nobscot Shopping Center. "That property is not being developed at this time." said Terri Desjardins, property management spokesperson for Centercorp Retail Properties, owners of the longtime, almost vacant plaza. In fact, a visit to Centercorp's Web site featuring properties the company is actively marketing doesn't mention the once bustling plaza on Water Street, now home to a handful of retailers, a pharmacy and a bank. The plaza, and merchants in the plaza, have endured almost four years of major road construction, as well as the dwindling number of storefronts.   Paul Ashton, owner of Annie's Book Store, is dismayed by the set of …

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Bob Berman

8:31 am on Friday, December 17, 2010

Alan, you are 100 percent right, but we can take it even 1 giant step forward. There is significant legal precedent for a community to take the land when an owner is holding back the economic development of an area. This is EXACTLY what is happening in Nobscot with a property owner who has continued to rake in lease charges for vacant stores, at the expense of the diminishing development and …   more ›