Worcester Business Journal

ment building with two retail spaces on what is now a parking lot. Shoppers World found new tenants – HomeSense and Sierra Trading Post, both TJX Cos. chains – for a space left by Sports Authority, and sits in a major shopping hub next to the Natick Mall. Shoppers World still has a vacancy left from when Bob's Stores closed last year, and an empty Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us on the way. Ohio-based DDR Corp., the plaza owner, didn't return a call for comment. Filling a 113,000-sq.-ft. space The closure of Sam's Club in Worcester – which leaves none remain- ing in Massachusetts – has left a major vacancy at a high-profile location in a key gateway to the city along Route 146. Worcester Crossing's other anchor is a Walmart Supercenter, which compli- cates the prospect of a department or grocery store taking Sam's Club's place. Walmart retains control of the 133,000-square-foot building. "We also don't want to put someone in that's going to hurt our anchor tenant either," said Ken Fries, the vice president for leasing and acquisitions for Needham-based RK Centers, the owner of Worcester Crossing and more than 30 others across Massachusetts. A number of untraditional uses may go into the Sam's Club space, Fries said, but nothing is imminent. For all the upheaval in retail, most major Central Massachusetts shopping plazas appear to be doing well. Northborough Crossing is losing Toys "R" Us but is anchored by Wegmans, Kohl's, Dick's and BJ's Wholesale Club, which haven't had widespread closures. RK Centers' plazas, which include the Shoppes at Blackstone Valley in Millbury and RK Centre on Route 20 in Marlborough, are 90 percent or more leased, Fries said. Adapt & survive Shopping centers have rolled with the punches in the past. "Generally speaking, we've seen this before," said Greg Maloney, the presi- dent and CEO of retail for the real estate firm JLL, which has local offices in Boston. "I do think this is going to be a stage like everything." Maloney said he finds forecasts call- ing for the closure of so many malls to be entirely overblown. "Those that make the change will survive," he said. The Mall at Whitney Field in Leominster has replaced a Bradlees and Circuit City before, and will have to do the same for a Toys "R" Us. Its other large tenants – Macy's, Sears and JCPenney – have closed many locations elsewhere. Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said the city prides itself on building a personal relationship with property owners like Los Angeles-based Vintage Real Estate, which owns The Mall at Whitney Field. "That's really where the malls are going now, is entertainment," he said. "It's about, how are you drawing people in? The concept just has to change." Big box changeover Retail plazas in Central Massachusetts have continually filled vacant storefronts with new tenants, but as more retailers have gone out of business or drastically shrunk their store count, plazas are increasingly turning to less-traditional uses, such as offices. Notable retail closures in the last two decades: Departed company Community Location What's there now... *Toys "R" Us has announced its intentions to close all of its Toys "R" Us & Babies "R" Us stores. **Renovation to new use is underway. Source: News reports, municipal offices wbjournal.com | April 2, 2018 | Worcester Business Journal 11 Toys "R" Us* Auburn Route 12 Soon-to-be-vacant store Leominster Mall at Whitney Field Soon-to-be-vacant store Framingham Shoppers World Soon-to-be-vacant store Northborough Northborough Crossing Soon-to-be-vacant store Bellingham Crossroads Shopping Center Soon-to-be-vacant store Millbury Shoppes at Blackstone Valley Soon-to-be-vacant store Babies "R" Us* Framingham Shoppers World Soon-to-be-vacant store Bob's Stores Framingham Shoppers World Vacant Sports Authority Framingham Shoppers World HomeSense and Sierra Trading Post Marlborough Solomon Pond Mall Road Vacant Worcester Worcester Common Outlets Mall demolished Sam's Club Worcester Worcester Crossing Vacant Westborough Route 9 Target Circuit City Leominster Mall at Whitney Field Burlington Coat Factory Natick Route 9 Michaels Millbury Shoppes at Blackstone Valley Best Buy JCPenney Natick Natick Mall Wegmans** Bradlees Leominster Mall at Whitney Field Macy's Worcester Gold Star Boulevard Home Depot Worcester Worcester Fair Plaza Burlington Coat Factory Westborough Westmeadow Plaza Reliant Medical Group offices Milford Route 109 Kohl's Framingham Shoppers World Kohl's Linens 'n Things Leominster Watertower Plaza Now Ocean State Job Lot Millbury Shoppes at Blackstone Valley Nordstrom Rack Marlborough Solomon Pond Mall Shoe Dept. Encore Westborough Baystate Commons Reliant Medical Group offices Framingham Shoppers World Now a Nordstrom Rack Borders Marlborough Solomon Pond Mall Road Pure Hockey Outlet Store Shrewsbury Route 9 and Buffalo Wild Wings Lake Street and Tile Shop Ames Worcester Perkins Farm Marketplace Stop & Shop Worcester Lincoln Street Demolished, now part of Lincoln Plaza Dudley Airport Road plaza Grossman's Bargain Outlet Sturbridge Sturbridge Plaza Ocean State Job Lot Caldor Worcester Lincoln Street Bob's Discount Furniture Auburn Auburn Mall Reliant Medical Group offices** Westborough Westborough Shopping Center Marshalls Leominster Watertower Plaza Ocean State Job Lot and Michaels Rich's Marlborough Post Road Plaza Marshalls and Ocean State Job Lot Fitchburg Wallace Plaza Big Lots Gardner Timpany Plaza Big Lots Mill Stores Westborough Westmeadow Plaza Tractor Supply Co. W

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