Lost Again: Burlington Lands Wegmans
Posted by Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. on December 12, 2011
New York state grocery legend Wegmans is coming to Burlington. Yeah, it's better than Market Basket.
Chances are you have never been to a Wegmans. Unless you are from upstate New York or have friends or family there, you probably have no idea what it is. I certainly didn’t until going to college in western Pennsylvania. No Wegmans there, either, but I did have a friend from New York who talked so much about the place we had no choice but to ridicule him constantly for it.
After all, it’s only a grocery store.
I was young and I did not yet understand the emotional attachment that some people have to stores. It’s not a stretch to say that Wegmans has a cult following, and judging by local reports of the first Wegmans in New England recently opening in Northboro, it appears to be well-deserved. More services than Roche Brothers and with lower prices, Wegmans — a family-owned grocery store chain — has done what the DeMoulas family couldn’t: create a phenomenon.
That phenomenon is coming to Burlington in 2013. According to a Globe story, Nordblom Company is developing a parcel that will include a Wegmans grocery store and several locally-owned restaurants. These will not be down-market mall-town chain eateries, either, says the developer:
“We want the focus to be on getting the best operators, so we’re talking to independent and chef-driven restaurants, as opposed to chains,’’ said Todd Fremont-Smith, senior vice president of development. “We believe that’s what the market wants: something more experience-based than just a shopping center with a large food court.’’
Sounds nice, right? When was the last time you saw a quote anything like this about a development in Billerica?
The project will be part of Northwest Park, currently a forest of old office parks and parking lots along Middlesex Turnpike. You have probably driven by the site of Northwest Park hundreds of times on your way to Burlington Mall and thought nothing of it. And why would you? There’s nothing there worth seeing right now. But Burlington is trying to turn this neighborhood into a large, mixed-use alternative to the office park and retail disasters that sprawl built. The Wegmans is among the first real proposals that follow that plan. (By the way, Newton is getting one, too.)
I wrote in a Minuteman column two years ago that the Iverson Ford site should be converted to big farmer’s market and that Billerica should become a food mecca. Burlington has beat us to the punch.
That we failed to land Wegmans is a loss, but if we never even tried to get the legendary grocer, that would be an even bigger loss. This is exactly the sort of economic development we should be going after. Wegmans would have been perfect off one of the Route 3 exits. Imagine the economic growth it would have spurred, not to mention giving us a second grocery choice beyond the three moribund Market Baskets we have.
It’s nice that we are attracting high tech companies like E-Ink (albeit with boffo tax breaks) and are going after biotech to shore up the sinking industrial space hidden away in the backstage areas of our giant town. The Assessing Deparement gets credit for that. But how long is it going to be until we get some development in here we can actually use?
Mike L said
Jeff,
It’s all about the demographics. This is a great location for lunch for neighboring companies as well as dinner for the residents of Burlington, Lexington, Bedford, and maybe a few people from Billerica. On the positive side, I read in this weekend’s business section in the Lowell Sun that Cumberland Farms is coming to Billerica (at the former site of “Country Farms”). So Burlington gets Wegmans and an upscale dining destination center and we get Cumbys!
Its all about the demographics….
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said
It is about the demographics. It’s also about access to transportation, cost of permitting and construction, zoning, local support, and people actively involved in economic development.
But since you mentioned demographics, here they are: Burlington median household family income: $90k. Billerica, $94k. Billerica also has about twice as many people. Is Burlington truly the clear choice in demographic terms? Does it have better road access? No. I think the difference is the last item on my list. There is nearly no one in Billerica interested in quality-of-life economic development. As I noted, staff is working hard on commercial/industrial. But beyond complaining to neighbors over the fence (and in blogs), is any of us doing anything about it?
(Source, US census: http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US2501709840&_geoContext=01000US|04000US25|05000US25017|06000US2501709840&_street=&_county=billerica&_cityTown=billerica&_state=04000US25&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2009_5YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=)
InterestedReader said
I clicked on the link and it showed Burlington’s medium family income as $104k. Also, the daytime population of Burlington triples with people who work in all of the nearby high-tech companies with high paying jobs. So yes, I think demographics probably had a lot to do with it.
Mike L said
Touche on your last point, Jeff. It’s far easier to complain than to step up and act.
--Rick said
To Jeff’s point; how did Burlington get all of those high tech industries and how did Billerica miss the opportunity? How many of them appeared in just the last decade? How is it that our former Town Manager is able to do so much more with the Burlington Board of Selectmen than he was able to do while working with the Billerica Board of Selectmen? Demographics do change with transient wanderers housed in businesses who need to eat, shop and obtain other services as they come in and out of Burlington to work,or as they spend their lunch hours looking to slim their waistlines. The question is how did Burlington become the home to all of these high tech Bedouins and shop keepers, and how did Billerica let the opportunity to become an industrial oasis pass them by? A blind man can “see” what is on the surface by feel, but it’s what’s under the surface that matters. Ask any fisherman who’s ever spent time fishing on a dead body of water where all their is to hook are weeds and trash. As far as the annual income average, with either number, the difference is marginal at best; so let’s chalk that up to being a distractor and not very helpful in the final analysis. Were Billerica to improve it’s technology base, it’s income average would also change for the better.
--Rick said
Without the flexibility required for mega investment by developers such as the Nordblom Company that mixed use offers, I can’t see Billerica ever being a competitor for this sort of market. In the end, though, time will tell and I feel confident that when the chips fall; it’s not our side that will be walking away with regret. Hopefully, Billerica will not become the pond around which everything else is built.
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E. said
I did sneak in a plug for mixed use there since Northwest Park was zone that way. But Wegmans and the restaurants would have fit nicely under our General Business zone at, say, the Billerica Mall site. No zoning change needed.
--Rick said
I agree that the general business zoning would have been sufficient, but if that is all they have to work with [now and in the future] why would they when they have so many other development options nearby and forward looking communities to choose from? There has to be some reason why Burlington, especially, is exploding with economically sound development [development people want with multiple uses that increase its value to the community]; while, Billerica’s economic course is simply marking time. It’s not their town manager, because he used to be ours. While here, he couldn’t get change to occur before he threw his hands up and left for greener pastures, greater challenges and a higher probability of leaving a lasting contribution to a community. Are we to believe that he suddenly was transformed from mediocre to outstanding in terms of performance simply by crossing the road and jumping the border?
Burlington has a new slogan: “Where Technology Goes to Work”. I suppose we could use “Where Technology Goes to Sleep” as our slogan. [We can't even get e-mail addresses or timely electronic meeting minutes up for public viewing]. It would fit as a descriptor given that it is estimated to take just under one full year to get a $15,000.00 [high tech???/small sum] voting system purchased, installed and adequately tested before implementation when most agree it is needed. As with everything in Billerica, excuses abound and action is either absent or misdirected. I’m not certain what people fear most; technology or a small group of backwoods bullies recognized by their big mouths and blinders; but, in either case, in my humble but recalcitrant and stubborn opinion, we are likely to become that pond around which all the expensive real estate is built. In keeping with that scenario, I can already see the surrounding towns standing on the piers and boat docks plucking away our best and largest fish one at a time. Of course, I could be mistaken and prone to hyperbole.
Well, I’m off to cardiac rehab to exercise and hopefully get my blood pressure back to normal levels. Maybe I should just stick to writing and working to improve health care imaging technology.
MJ said
“Sounds nice, right? When was the last time you saw a quote anything like this about a development in Billerica?” Jeff you hit the nail on the head…it frustrates me that there is just so little attention placed on positive development for our main street….we need leaders to push our economic developers and manager to work on this…I am sorry to say I just don’t see anyone on the Selectmen who cares enough to lead!
--Rick said
I think Andrew Deslaurier is interested and capable, but he’s severely outnumbered. As to the Town Manager, he talks a good game, but never seems to have anything to say or to be available at key moments in time. So, I agree with you that he, his assistant and the economic development specialist will have to be pushed.
MJ said
I never hear Mr. Deslaurier have much to say. He’s seems to have blended in with the pack. Have you talked to him? What’s his capability level?
MJ said
While I would be the last person to defend the hapless folks leading this town, Burlington’s success starts with geography….its location on 95/128 has much to do with its thriving economic development…the decision to locate the Burlington Mall adjacent to the highway and intersection of route 3 probably sealed its bright future. But, give them credit; they have used their assets to make the town highly desirable. it might be better to compare Billerica with Wilmington, an effectively managed community with lower taxes and a highly improved main street. How does Wilmington do it? Chelmsford, despite the mess at Drum Hill, has come a long way with improving its center…something that most of our selectmen have actively resisted….it comes down to leadership….i don’t think this town is ready to clean house, but I’d say it’s the only way…we need a new board of selectmen.
Anonymous said
Can’t disagree with much here; especially, having the word hapless in the paragraph pertaining to those who lead the town. I also agree about cleaning house, but the problem is that the challengers are generally worse than the fungii growing in the selectmen’s seat.
As to Andrew, he is quiet and that makes him more effective when he does speak. He’s willing to take on anyone on the board and generally holds his own. He’s bright, articulate and always comes to the meetings prepared and ready to work. Could he do better? Yep…but, so can we all. I’d like to see him get reelected this time around and see what he can do with a full term under his belt. I can tell you from personal experience that if you have a question and email him, you will hear from him in short order, even when he’s been criticized. That in itself is unusual for the thin skinned BOS and Town Manager pairing.