SALISBURY — A new proposal to bring a 270,000-square-foot retail shopping center here is an exciting opportunity, town officials said.
If all goes as planned, Salisbury could have a "New England seaside-designed" commercial hub filled with apparel and food stores and an assortment of restaurants, plus a source for hundreds of jobs, within its borders by the summer of 2010. The development is seen as a shot in the arm for the community's economy and prestige.
The shopping center would be built by Waterstone Retail Development of Needham on a 30-acre site just off Interstate 95, behind the former Chubby's Diner. In local taxes alone, Salisbury could reap $275,000 per year in annual property tax, instead of the roughly $40,000 the acreage presently brings, said Waterstone architect Doug Richardson.
If the project is approved, 300 construction jobs will be created, he said, and as many as 600 full- and part-time jobs at the shopping center.
As important as taxes and jobs are, the proposed center would make Salisbury a player in the regional retail scheme, bringing customers from Newburyport and Amesbury, as well as summer visitors, Selectman Jerry Klima said yesterday.
According to information from local assessors' offices, the proposed commercial center would be about a third larger than Salisbury's Crossroads Plaza, and almost three times as large as Amesbury's Carriage Town Plaza.
"We're very, very, very happy with this proposal," Klima said. "This will be a tremendous gateway for the town. It's at a wonderful location. It's highly visible and has very easy access from (Interstate) 95 — both northbound and southbound — and even (Interstate) 495."
The hope is, Klima said, that Waterstone will be able to bring a supermarket to Salisbury, as well as junior anchor stores known for apparel. Neither food nor clothing are taxed in Massachusetts, Klima noted, and such stores can compete with the tax-free shopping many seek out in neighboring Seabrook.
Waterstone's Web site describes the company as a "grocery-anchored" retail developer that builds to own, with long-term strategies for its properties.
Twenty-two acres are already zoned for such a commercial venture, but the remaining 8 acres must be rezoned to commercial use before the project can go forward. On Monday night, selectmen unanimously approved placing the rezoning proposal on the May 19 Town Warrant, asking Town Meeting to approve the change. Klima believes voters will be pleased to see such a progressive proposal put before them.
Town officials hope to have a signed development agreement with Waterstone that firms up certain critical issues before the rezoning issue is presented at Town Meeting. It will allow voters to know the important parameters of the development before they vote to rezone, he said.
In addition to the rezoning, the project must get all permits and approval required for a development of this magnitude, such as an extensive site plan review and approval before the Planning Board and any other pertinent local and state agencies, Richardson said.
Richardson expressed his company's excitement about locating in Salisbury. Waterstone owns about two dozen shopping centers in the Northeast and eastern United States. Salisbury's project — to be called "Salisbury Gateway" — is one of six new projects for the 3-year-old retail development company, which include others in Portsmouth and Epping, N.H., he said.
Locating in Salisbury is attractive to Waterstone because of its great location, Richardson said, and because of the supportive attitude and cooperation the company received from local officials. The sewer expansion project that will bring Salisbury's sewer infrastructure to the proposed site in time for its development makes the project possible, Richardson said.
Klima said Waterstone expects to do major road work at the site to accommodate traffic, which will benefit the Main Street/Rabbit Road intersection and area. One option Waterstone is pursuing is placing an entrance to the shopping center right off the I-95 off-ramp, which could take a great deal of shopping center traffic off local roads, Klima said.
Richardson said no retailers or restaurants are yet signed up to locate at "Salisbury Gateway," but town officials have discussed the type of stores they'd like to see, including a grocery store.
Should Town Meeting approve the project on May 19, Richardson said he would be on a plane to Las Vegas the next day, where a big retail leasing convention will be taking place, in hopes of signing national retailers to the site.
