February 16, 2010

Rumor Mill

Got to say the rumor mill has been on a roll.

  • Sams Club
  • Hanover involvement with City Square
Next ones I believe is coming is best
  • Best Buy out of Greendale Mall
  • At least one big grocery store closing in Worcester due to Market Basket
Here is where I am a little stuck. On the reliability meter, I give it a 4 out of 10. Heard today that Walmart may be looking to open behind Walgreens?? Need to report it my fellow bloggers though, but I only give this a 4 out of 10. Need more confirmation.



16 comments:

Rich Greenhalgh said...

Got a relative that works for the company that owns the mall and hes says Best Buy is staying for the near future

David Z. said...

That would be great news if Best Buy is staying at the Greendale Mall. Now that many electronics retailers have disappeared, I believe both locations can be successful.

As for CitySquare, it is way too important to Worcester for the O'Brien & O'Brien administration to let it fail. It will get off the ground either as CitySquare or Hanover Square. Given the state of our economy and the tight credit markets, I am thrilled that local people have apparently stepped up to the plate. And as pointed out in Sunday’s Nick Kotsopolous article in the T&G, Berkley wasn’t going to completely extend Front Street to Washington Square until phase 2. The rumor mill has the local group planning on a fully extended Front Street during phase 1 construction.

Anonymous said...

What 'big' grocery is closing due to Market Basket? I may want to buy it. Andy Penick andypenick@visionequipment.com

Jahn said...

I heard the Greendale Mall might be closing. (a 1 out of 10). Bottom line, their aint no Green in Greendale and the demographics of Greendale are starting to change. 2nd Bottom line..urban malls are often doomed to failure

Then i heard the school dept will "re-structure" and rent space in Greendale Mall. Question, why dont they rent it in City Sq? FWIW, eye dew believe City Sq will happen. I place a lotta faith in Obrien in many matters (not all, but many). However City Sq will NOT BE a savior to downtown. It's the people stupid, not the buildings/structures. I dew predick Paulie will be setting them up at Mahoneys for the Hand It Over Chandler CDC, David Z., et al. Bill will allsew be fronting David a few Giant Imperial Quarts ( a.k.a. as GIQ's from the old "Res" days).

That Wally World was also rumored at Diamand Chevrolet site a few years ago. Then I heard no way, it will not go there ..possibly knot big enuff fore a Super Duper Wally World. Then I heard Stop & Slop at Diamnond site. BTW I continue to hear Diamond ads on radio saying come to Diamond on Paaaaark Avenue. What up with that? Are they in Auburn, Worcester, or both. Come on Down !!!!!!!

Jahn said...

Andy, I kinda assume you already know, but if you dont... Check out the old Shaws store on lower Grafton St. The place cant be more than 5 or 6 years old?

Karl Hakkarainen said...

Regarding supermarkets, nothing but speculation here, but I think that the Stop & Shop in Lincoln Plaza is a candidate. Although it's important to have a supermarket near GBV, I've not seen the level of business that would keep a store of that size thriving.

David Z. said...

Andy said, "What 'big' grocery is closing due to Market Basket? I may want to buy it."

Wow, Bill breaks all the news first and now he's creating economic stimulus.

Jahn said...

Markets in that Lincoln Plaza area have a hard nut to crack. Believe it or not back in the 1960's there was a Stop & Shop and a First National Store in Lincoln Plaza and the Stop & Shop was exactly where the current S&S is sited. Ultimately that 1960's S&S became Radio Shack and/or TJ Maxx.

The First Nat'l closed centuries ago and was later Goretti's Market and some other Market that I cannot recall before most of LIncoln Plaza was razed in about Late 90's.

Then Iandoli's made a go of it across the street from Lincoln Plaza for a number of years. That eventually morphed into Food World Ware House in the mid 1980's. Food World WH eventaully called it quits there I'd guess about 15 ( maybe 20?) years ago and the space that FWWH occupied has been mostly vacant since then. (partly occupied by Dollar Store).

I recall the professional & highly experienced CEO of our Worcester Housing & Sex Education Authority weeping and knashing his teeth when FWWH closed up. Can you say inventory shrinkage? Can you say I grew up in GBV & I am Mayor & therefore you cannot close your FWWH?

With Great Brook Valley, Lincoln Village, & Mountain Village and possibly soon to be biult more NOLO housing in the Lincoln Village area, the area is clearly overly saturated with No/Low Income housing...even HomeTown Buffet couldnt make it in the shopping plaza opposite Lincoln Plaza. Rumor has it all these 350 lb people in that area that wear short pants all winter ate the place into Chapter 11.

Shoulda left Lincoln Country Club there and the city shoulda bot it and made it into a park. Would have been so much less costly to the city in the long run. (I use the term Country Club very loosely.)

Pualie I was in D-4 today. I never saw so many folks who evidently do not realize that on holiday weeks D-4 trash pick up is on Thursday and knot on Wednesday.
Of course if every Monday is a holiday to ya one could easily forget.............just kidding...I have almost made that mistake myself a once or twice.

Paulie have you offered Deval, The Dough Boy, Havana Jim and Tobey free tix to NOLA Fest 2010?

Deval & Tobey will have to chose between the Berkshires and Piedmont Village and Havana Jim will have to chose between South Yarmouth and Piedmont Village. Maybe Scott would be willing to show up....whaddaya think?

David Z. said...

Jahn said, "The First Nat'l closed centuries ago and was later Goretti's Market and some other Market that I cannot recall before most of Lincoln Plaza was razed in about Late 90's."

IIRC Jahn, Goretti's never located in the former First National (aka Finast Supermarkets) in Lincoln Plaza. They were at South Plaza (in the former First National), College Square, Leicester (Cherry Valley) and Millbury. Goretti’s eventually closed all of the locations except Millbury where they still operate today.

Stop & Shop is way too expensive for that part of Lincoln Street. If I owned commercial property there, I would go after Price Rite. It’s all about the demographics.

signman said...

I thought Walmart was going to Duddies? If your thing is correct... what is going to Duddie's

Paulie's Point of View said...

I would have to disagree on the statement Senor Pedro Jahn that most urban malls fail...most do quite well in the Boston area..Cambridge Galleria comes to my immediate attention..then Assembly Mall in Somerville..Meadow Glenn Mall in Medfords..Chestnut Hill Mall in Newton, the mall on the former Monsanto site in Everett, Fresh Pond Mall in Cambridge, Arsenal Mall in Watertown...shall I go on:>)

You need to have folks with money for em' to succeed...simple math problemo

Jahn said...

David, Mea Culpa, it wasnt Gorettis, It was Argentos (right church, wrong pew. TY for the correction

My point, however is that supermarkets seem to have a tough go of it in that immediate vicinty and it always puzzled me b/c there are huge concentrations of people in that area, argueably not wealthy people, but we all still have to eat. Then there is always the inventory shrinkage factor

OK it just hit me, it was a BIg D market in the old First Nat'l site a.k.a. as Wonder Markets which we all know was bot out by Price Chopper....what 10 years or so ago? Big D closed up and it became Argentos.

David, you bring a Price Rite into Lincoln Plaza and you can probably kiss Barnes Nobles and maybe other stores good bye.

Pualie, you're making my point arent you re: urban malls making it or going bust.

Arent Slummerville, Cambridge, Newton, Everett, Medford, & Watertown that you cite all suburban Boston vs. urban? They may be cities but they are still suburban to Boston itself....thus they are generally successful b/c they proabbly pull more customers from the Rte 128 beltway than they do from Boston.

Jahn said...

Just read todays T&G (2-18).

I think it's great that Worcester will become a larger intermodal freight hub. These are decent paying jobs, some of them Teamsters.

I read the article to its conclusion and WTF do we have but Pedone already running his mouth about the east Side being crowded already (shoehorned?) and something about more possible noise.(I paraphrase) Here it comes already, Another ROAR group getting in the way of progress in what is already an industrial area.

When the ++++ will these politicians realize that Railroad tracks & railroad sidings & freight yards are industrial type settings and with good paying industry comes a few downsides. Kindly shaddup.

Couple questions though. How does increased truck traffic, congestion, noise, etc. effect the proposed Canal District? Years ago i recall hearing complaints from long establised busnesses in the CD area that the canal district was (is?) an industrial area that does not really mix well with the likes of what is (was?) on Harding St, Water st, Kelly Sq, Lower grafton St etc. MY point... forget the Canal District and keep the area industrial, That area may well need a complete roadway transformation for egress to I 290
Just eminent domain the whole area for new roadways and Mr Fletcher and his ideas for how to waste my tax money can R.I.P.

And BTW way Tim, how "Green" is it that freight trains that used to make its way into the Boston area via fuel efficient railway will now be hauled in via 65 ft tractor trailer units that use lots more fuel. And Tim while I have your ear...add'l commuter train trips into Worcester?????......to what end...........where are these commuters going to work? Peoples Bank, WCIS, GB&T, Worc County Nat'l Bank, Denholms, Mechanics Bank, Barnards, etc, etc???

Paulie's Point of View said...

Arent Slummerville, Cambridge, Newton, Everett, Medford, & Watertown that you cite all suburban Boston vs. urban? They may be cities but they are still suburban to Boston itself....thus they are generally successful b/c they proabbly pull more customers from the Rte 128 beltway than they do from Boston.

>>you may think we think we are suburban to Senor Boston Pedro Jahn but I would disagree as would most that live in the region...all aforementioned communities are as urban as they come (Medford on the least)SPJ...Woo failed because downtown sucks and most human beings with any sense (me excluded) stay away from the inhabitants of 224 Chandler Street and what you see and experience downtown on a regular basis.it was hoped however to attract folks from outside the city to it also....of course folks from outside the areas I mentioned shop in the mentioned malls but they are not surviving because of this..

Woo failed and lets leave it at that..

Jahn said...

Pualie, I agree w/you the likes of Summaaaahville aint suburbam in the sense that the Peoples Republic of Holden is, however they are still outside the confines of Boston, the regoins urban core.

I have to go and visit the Beacon St, Cooney St, Line St area soon. Great nurse watching in that area, but dammit they take all the parking spaces b/c they cheat getting Somerville parking decals. If I decide to drop in to the Thirsty Scholar, may I drop your name for a free brew? [g] and does the barkeep know how to pour a Pabst draft?

Paulie's Point of View said...

I'll be in Somerville later today...I'll leave a sawbuck at the bar for a few Pabst