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Longmeadow Shops expansion construction set to begin this spring

Date: 12/3/2015

LONGMEADOW – The Longmeadow Shops’ planned expansion project, which includes a new drive-thru CVS pharmacy, is set to go out to bid for its contractor Jan. 1, 2016 and begin construction this upcoming spring.

Steve Walker, manager of Grove Property Fund, which owns the Longmeadow Shops, said “depending on how the winter behaves” construction would probably start in the beginning of April.

The bid would probably be awarded sometime in February, he noted.

He added a national company could lease the existing 6,087-square-foot space where the existing CVS is located. However, the lease has yet to be signed.

The expansion project would also allow another renter to lease a 1,863-square-foot space, he noted.

Walker said he anticipates the project would be completed by March 2017.

Planning Board Chair Bruce Colton said the board approved the site and design review for the project Oct. 7 and there were no additional requirements from the board based on the Longmeadow Shops’ plans presented during a public hearing on Sept. 2.

“No formal action was taken about winter parking requirements,” he added. “The parking bylaws don't address this and my own view is that, to the extent this is a problem, it’s pretty much self-correcting. If the Longmeadow Shops aren't providing sufficient parking to their numerous tenants, rent won’t be paid and they'll get sued.”

Colton said the Longmeadow Shops is required to pay the town $250,000 in mitigation fees for the project.  

“Half of this amount will be paid at the time that a certificate of occupancy or a temporary certificate of occupancy is issued for the new building,” he explained. “The balance will be paid six months later. This amount represents about 47 percent of the total cost of these improvements.

“Given the fact that most of the traffic on Williams and Bliss Streets doesn’t go to the Longmeadow Shops and due to a rather large projected increase in traffic from other sources, the Longmeadow Shops percentage of traffic on these two streets will actually decrease following the new construction,” he continued. “All parties felt that this was a fair assessment.”

Mitigation funds would be utilized for various improvements, including two to three raised crosswalks along Bliss Road opposite the Longmeadow Shops; a full depth box widening along the east side of the road along Redfern Drive and Frank Smith Road; upgrades to traffic signage and pavement stripping improvements as needed and the installation of new mast arm traffic signals due to roadway widening, Colton said.

“The intersection will be a combination of existing post mounted signals and proposed mast arm mounted signals,” he noted.

Other improvements include replacement pedestrian signals and push buttons on the impacted corners; the installation of loop detectors on the Frank Smith Road and Redfern Drive approaches; relocation of two utility poles and the installation of drainage structures that would be impacted by the street widening.

“The Longmeadow Shops is, of course, also responsible for the various internal traffic and pedestrian improvements, [such as parking spaces], which were outlined during the site and design review hearings,” Colton said.

Walker said the renovation of the Longmeadow Shop’s parking lot would begin this summer.

“Usually July is the quietest time of the year – a lot of people are on vacation – so we’re going to target July as the time when we renovate the parking lot,” he noted.

The Longmeadow Shops’ expansion project would increase parking spaces from 493 spots to 600 spaces.