By Lisa Pacitto, Marketing Communications/Copywriter

Olde Shrewsbury Village has long charmed shoppers with its colonial village look, small shops and footbridge over a stream. Yet, some of those features are what prompted owner/
developer Turtle Rock, LLC, to undertake a major redevelopment of the property. The end-result will be rebranded as 1000 Boston Turnpike – an exciting and attractive mixed-use development with exceptional visibility at the junction of Rtes. 9 and 20.

Opened in the late 1980s, Olde Shrewsbury Village boasted some unique features – including a stream that ran through the property. An old-style pedestrian footbridge traversed the steam, creating a natural attraction for shoppers. As attractive as these features were, they had a downside. The stream cut off much of the parking area from the retail shops, which meant that shoppers didn’t have easy access to the stores. Factor in walking back to the parking area carrying purchases (especially in inclement weather), and the situation presented a problem for both shoppers and the retailers who depended on their patronage. 

An Ambitious Plan

Property owner Turtle Rock, LLC, which purchased the property in 1994, began evaluating creative and eco-friendly ways to solve the parking situation. The management team decided that relocating the stream would provide the best possible solution. 

“It quickly became apparent that if we were going to pull off moving a stream, we needed to assemble a top notch team to handle the environmental, political, legal, and complex construction challenges presented by such an undertaking,” said Ed Mullin of Turtle Rock, LLC. 

The Approval Process

Once the team was in the place, a lengthy permitting process began involving approvals from the town, state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After 4 years and a lot of hard work, the team succeeded in gaining approvals to move the stream.  This was a significant hurdle, as it was only the second time in Massachusetts that a private developer was granted approval to move a stream. The first time was for the construction of Gillette Stadium.

“Relocating the stream to its current location has created a natural pattern for the water to flow. The property has benefitted greatly, with improved and easily-accessible parking, while still preserving the natural esthetic,” said Jeffrey Bilezikian, principal of Turtle Rock, LLC. 

The redevelopment effort also included demolishing a 22,000 s/f building along the Rte. 9 side of the property.   This created a parking area close to all retail shops.  Retail tenants are delighted to have direct visibility from Rte. 9, which logs over 50,000 trips per day and from Rte. 20, which logs over 18,000 trips per day. 

Future Plans

The redevelopment also includes the potential for an additional 50,000 s/f of space available for development. Presently, the existing tenants include Christmas Tree Shops, Sears Outlet Store, JoAnn Fabrics, India Market, Yankee Candle, and Get In Shape For Women.

“We’re really excited about the retail opportunities and mixed-use potential the redevelopment has created,” said Bilezikian. 

Located at the crossroads of Rtes. 9 and 20, with easy access to Rte. 495 and the Mass Pike, 1000 Boston Turnpike is uniquely positioned to offer tenants a prime mixed-use location and shoppers with a memorable shopping experience. 

Lisa Pacitto is marketing communications/copywriter.