Edens & Avant Plans $30 Million Expansion of Boston's South Bay Center

Search Blogs that Mention this News Release
Click this link to view linked Bookmarking Services
Click this link to view linked Blogging Services
Edens & Avant Plans $30 Million Expansion of Boston's South Bay Center
    BOSTON, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Edens & Avant, the nation's largest private
owner of grocery-anchored shopping centers, today announced a $30 million
expansion and improvement plan for the 440,000-square-foot South Bay Shopping
Center located at the northern juncture of Boston's South End, Roxbury and
Dorchester neighborhoods.
    In an effort to expand and improve its South Bay Center to meet the needs
of its retailers, shoppers, and residents of the surrounding neighborhood and
communities, Edens & Avant is working closely with neighborhood and civic
organizations on plans to demolish the old warehouse buildings formerly
occupied by the AGAR Supply Company.
    According to Joe Pierik, Vice President of the Company's Northeast Region,
Edens & Avant has acquired an eight-acre industrial parcel located along
Massachusetts Avenue, adjacent to the 46-acre South Bay Center, and plans to
demolish the existing 135,120-square-foot building to make room for major
expansion and redevelopment of Boston's dominant urban shopping center.
    "The plans we have submitted will expand retail uses into the former
industrial space, and allow us to improve portions of the existing shopping
center," said Pierik.  "In addition, Edens & Avant has been working diligently
to address community concerns such as site access, appearance, vehicular
traffic, pedestrian connections, and signage.
    "Overall, our plan creates more attractive uses for the neighborhood by
demolition of the existing industrial structures, and eliminating the storage
of parked school buses," said Pierik.  "We will be able to create a more
attractive buffer between the Newmarket industrial area and the surrounding
residential neighborhoods."
    Upon completion of the project, South Bay Center will comprise
approximately 540,000 square feet of GLA.  In addition to its existing roster
of retailers, South Bay Center will include a new 75,000-square-foot Stop &
Shop along with a variety of other new retailers.
    A new Target store is scheduled to open at South Bay Center in early March
2004 in the former K-Mart space.
    The South Bay Center is located between Massachusetts Avenue, Allstate
Road and Southampton Street bordering the South Boston, Roxbury and North
Dorchester neighborhoods.  The Center is prominently viewed and adjacent to
the Southeast Expressway.
    According to Pierik, the South Bay expansion project is subject to Large
Project Review under Article 80 of the City of Boston Zoning Code. Demolition
at the 8-acre site is expected to begin Summer / Fall 2004 with full expansion
and redevelopment of South Bay Center expected to be completed by the end of
2005.
    "Preliminary reaction to the plan from neighbors and nearby businesses has
been positive," said Pierik. "We are therefore hoping for a timely project
review period in order to get construction underway as soon as possible."
    Edens & Avant is one of the nation's fastest growing retail real estate
enterprises with more than 250 grocery-anchored shopping centers in 20 states.
The Company has Regional Headquarters in Boston, MA, and Washington, DC, with
Corporate Headquarters in Columbia, SC.
SOURCE Edens & Avant
http://www.edensandavant.com
CONTACT:
Susan Sale-Korper, VP, Corporate Marketing of
Edens & Avant, +1-803-744-2492, or ssale@edensandavant.com