The Hawaiian shirts were on display and hundreds of loyal customers jammed the opening of the latest Trader Joe's in Linear Retail Properties' newly renovated and expanded shopping center located on the Fresh Pond rotary. Recently Trader Joe's captain (store manager) Tracy Acciola and regional vice president Chris Maguire cut a ceremonial flower lei welcoming the first customers to its 14,000 s/f store with balloons, live music and food samples. The facility at 321 Alewife Brook Pkwy. features the standard TJ's festive décor along with murals of the Fresh Pond Reservoir and the T's Red Line.
The Trader Joe's opening represents the latest phase of Linear Retail's redevelopment of the former Ground Round/CVS/Kappy's Liquors site into a crisply-designed 47,000 s/f complex featuring an enlarged 24-hour CVS Pharmacy, T-Mobile, Chipotle Mexican Grille, SavMor Spirits and Sleepy's. A TD Bank banking center is scheduled to open in February.
"We are excited to bring this dynamic retailer to the Alewife market," said Linear partner in charge of leasing and asset management, Joel Kadis. "Having only purchased the property in 2007, adding Trade Joe's is the exclamation point to our well-received transformation of the center."