State Rep. Angelo Puppolo presents developer Anton Melchionda with a proclamation in honor of the opening of Springfield Crossing shopping Plaza. Fellow state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, state Sens. Jake Oliviera and Adam Gomez, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Melchionda’s business partner Dinesh Patel and others were on hand for the moment.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — The Dec. 15 ribbon cutting at Springfield Crossing shopping plaza on the former site of the Eastfield Mall, was an emotional one for many of the lawmakers and developers at the event.
While the 1655 Boston Road property is nearly unrecognizable as the former home of JCPenney, Sears and — at one time — Steigers, memories of the mall were not far from the minds of those who spoke at the event.
“This site is very personal for me,” said state Sen. Jake Oliviera, who grew up in nearby Ludlow. “This is where we came to shop. This is where we came to dine.” He also recalled that the parking lot in which the officials stood was where people had sat in their vehicles, inching along in snaking lines as they waited to get tested for the coronavirus during the pandemic.
State Rep. Angelo Puppolo said that it was “like yesterday” that the mall was a “derelict” structure. Now, the property is brimming with new business life. Like legislators, City Council President-elect Tracye Whitefield said she “grew up in the Eastfield Mall, running the halls.” Of the new plaza, she said, “I can’t wait to shop here, like, every day.”
The $80 million project contains 386,727 square feet of shopping space and 1,627 parking spaces. A handful of businesses have already opened in the plaza, including a 128,000-square-foot BJ’s Wholesale Club and its affiliated gas station, PetSmart, Chipotle and Chick-fil-A. Over the next two years, Target, Hobby Lobby, Lay-Z-Boy, Skechers and Chase Bank will join them at the site. Whitfield said the City Council worked with the developer to ensure there would be opportunitites for small businesses, like those that previously had a presence at the mall. To that end, there is the potential to subdivide one building into about a dozen small storefronts.
The opening of BJ’s created 140 new jobs, the majority of which were filled by Springfield residents. Chick-fil-A represents another 125 positions. The plaza is expected to generate 800 jobs in total, including those involved in the site’s construction.
Redevelopment of the site had been a long time coming. State Sen. Adam Gomez said the property was “in need of saving” during his time on the City Council from 2015 to 2021. “Springfield is open for business,” he said, and that business has brought jobs to Boston Road. It is that job creation that he is most “proud” of because it means “people can work and put food on the table.”
Puppolo praised Mayor Domenic Sarno’s administration for its commitment to economic development. “Mayor Domenic Sarno is the best quarterback we’ve had in the city of Springfield,” he said. His colleague, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, declared, “The city of Springfield is where economic development continues to shine,” and “when Springfield shines, the whole Western Massachusetts shines.”
While developer Onyx Partners Ltd. as many properties in its portfolio, founder Anton Melchionda said, “This one’s really special. I grew up about 30 minutes away.” When a business partner suggested they buy the property, Melchionda agreed without knowing how much it would cost. He said that he knew they would “figure it out.” Three months later, the company brought their proposal to the city.
To emphasize how easy the City Council was to work with, Melchionda said his company purchased a similar property elsewhere around the same time as it bought the former mall. As the ribbon was cut on Springfield Crossing, he said, the other project remains stalled in a different city council. In Springfield, he said, “We whipped right through the process. The city over-performed. They did their part; we did our part.”
City Councilor Zaida Govan, who represents Ward 8, where the plaza is located, said the council “said a resounding yes” to the established a 34-acre development district on the site. The $8 million that the city committed will help pay the costs of development. The city will see a return on its investment, though, as the vacant property provided $600,000 a year in property taxes. With Phase 1 of the project completed, the plaza will generate an annual $2.7 million to fill the city’s coffers and pay back the bond on the district.
Whitfield has recently pushed for the City Council to find revenue streams that would divert tax pressure away from homeowners. She said, “We desperately need tax revenue. We need more job creation. I can’t wait to see it continue.”
When redevelopment of the site was first proposed, a mixed-use project was considered but ultimately, decided against. However, Whitfield said Onyx Partners have committed to housing development as part of Phase 2 of the project.
Part of the Eastfield Mall’s footprint remains.
Immediately adjacent to the plaza is the former Sears and further, the shuttered Sears Auto Center. Those parcels were once owned by the now bankrupt Sears Holdings but were sold to Michael Hotarek and Joseph Morrison of Eastern Retail Properties in 2020.
Whitfield called the buildings “an eyesore,” while Sarno said the Springfield Crossing development will “force” the owners to “do something” with the land.
