Pleasant Valley Crossing, Worcester County's newest retail development is moving quickly towards a summer opening. Galaxy Development of Auburn, Mass. started the construction of the new grocery anchored center in the fall of last year. The first phase of the 220,000 s/f retail project will feature a 58,000 s/f Market 32 grocery store. The extremely successful Price Chopper chain which started in the early 1900s and now has over 130 stores is rebranding its name and will now be called Market 32. Sutton will be the very first ground-up Market 32 store. It is slated to open in July or August of this year.

Bast Hatfield Construction, LLC of Clifton Park, N.Y. is the general contractor for Market 32 and they have worked through a brutal New England winter so the store could open as soon as possible. UniBank will be joining Market 32 and is planning to open a freestanding bank on the pad site along Rte. 146 at the project's main entrance. There are three other retail buildings being constructed by Galaxy Development in the first phase of the project that offer space from 1,200 to 6,800 s/f. When completed, the first phase will include 90,000 s/f. Many of the higher image national name retail tenants have been in negotiations with Galaxy for the few remaining stores.

The project is also benefitting from a nearly complete $6 million MA DOT roadway improvement that will be complete this spring. The roadway improvements include extensive widening and a nine lane intersection with dedicated turn lanes which was necessary to handle the abundance of traffic along this major artery leading from Worcester to Providence.

Acquisition financing for the project was provided by Millbury Federal Credit Union and construction financing will be provided by People's United Bank of Hartford.