Target at Springfield hosts ribbon cutting ahead of grand opening

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan and Lamari Jackson, district director for state Sen. Adam Gomez, stand with Bullseye, the Target mascot.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen

SPRINGFIELD — With a shower of red confetti and the snip of a bullseye-dotted ribbon, the arrival of Target at Springfield Crossing was celebrated on July 21, ahead of its July 26 grand opening.

Mayor Domenic Sarno said it is a “massive store. Anything you need or want is right here in Springfield Crossing.” The 135,000-square-foot store has a workforce of 150 people. Mayor Domenic Sarno said 70% are Springfield residents.

Sarno said that long before the city was able to publicly confirm that Target would be an anchor for the plaza, people would ask him if the store was coming to Springfield. “Now I can say, Target was our target, and we’re happy to have them here,” he said. “Thank you for your belief and investment in the city of Springfield,” he said.

The mayor said Chief Development Officer Tim Sheehan worked hard to facilitate the turnover from the Eastfield Mall into the Springfield Crossing plaza. He said Springfield Crossing is one of many projects across the city that came to fruition despite naysayers. “It’s cause we have a can-do attitude and we’re business friendly,” he said.

“You definitely hit the bullseye… with this Target here,” state Rep. Angelo Puppolo joked, referring to the company’s logo.

Springfield Crossing is in Puppolo’s district but was formerly a part of state Rep. Orlando Ramos’s constituency. The two co-signed a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives congratulating the store on its grand opening. Puppolo said, “The entire Springfield delegation, right, we know how important business is, how jobs and economic development — and this is second to none.”

Ramos said Boston Road used to be known as the economic and retail hub of Springfield. “And so, to see it come back, it’s a beautiful thing… Please know that you have a friend in us at the state level,” he said.

State Rep. Brian Ashe commented that, despite the “torrential downpour, this place is packed.” Echoing Puppolo’s comments, he said the Springfield delegation was proud to have a Target in the city. Leading a round of applause for “everybody in a red shirt.”

Lamari Jackson, district director for state Sen. Adam Gomez said, “You guys are the powerhouse of this city.” She presented the store manager with a citation on behalf of Gomez and state Sen. Jake Oliveira.

Target Group Vice President Mariann Batista said she believed the Target would be good for the community, particularly opening during back-to-school season. “I’m so proud of the team. They’ve worked so hard,” she said. “I’ve opened up a few stores, and this is one of the biggest we’ve opened in the area.”

Batista touted the large market area, carrying groceries, fresh produce and frozen items. “We are calling that ‘food forward’ and it’s something that we really want to bring to our communities.” Target has a food distribution center in Connecticut, allowing the store to keep fresh produce in stock.

Batista said, “We want to make sure that we are close to every family in America.”