A site plan filed with the city of Worcester’s Planning Board suggests that an Amazon distribution center may soon be moving into a parcel of land along I-190, and close to I-290, that once housed the Greendale Mall.
The newest proposal filed this week calls for the demolition of the more than 300,000-square-foot mall, and the construction of a 121,212-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on the site. But while the application makes no mention of Amazon, as is often the case with submissions for Amazon properties, the permit application holds a clue that points toward the giant online retailer.
According to the Worcester Telegram, the section outlining off-street parking mentions that “the proposed tenant of the new building is working to produce 10,000 electric vans by 2022 and 100,000 by 2030 and is working on a strategy to be net zero carbon across their business by 2040."
Amazon uses almost identical language in its Climate Pledge commitment, which states that the company will be carbon neutral in 20 years.
Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. said he can’t confirm who the tenant is, but he’s happy to see someone going into the site.
“Though no lease has been signed as of yet, we have been notified by the developer that they have marketed the site to several tenants, including large distribution centers,” he said. “While we don’t have the particular details as of yet, we look forward to the redevelopment of that site and the jobs that are created as a result.”
Amazon declined to comment on the permit application, but a spokesperson said in an email that “Amazon is a dynamic business and we are constantly exploring new locations. We weigh a variety of factors when deciding where to develop future sites to best serve customers."
Representatives of the Boston-based Finard Properties, which owns the now-defunct Greendale Mall, were not reachable for comment. The company purchased the property last December for $7.1 million. At the time, Chief Executive Officer Todd Finard called the site a “prime candidate for redevelopment” and said he envisioned transforming the property into “a modern and unique, mixed-use destination.”
Former Worcester Mayor Ray Mariano said he has mixed feelings about the prospect of an Amazon warehouse moving in.
“There’s no real housing in the area, there’s no one whose life is going to be disrupted by trucks coming in and out because it’s an interchange with two highways, so it’s the proper use,” Mariano said.
“Initially, my response would be that the job creation is an excellent opportunity,” he added. “They pay excellent wages and we have a lot of people in that area – immediate area – who would be excellent candidates for employment. So, the initial response would be that the job creation is something the city would be excited about.”
That said, Mariano holds out hope that the site could still become a mixed-use property, providing office space and much-needed housing for the city.
“Housing, which was part of the original proposal for the site, would’ve been an excellent usage for that area,” he said.
