Shopping options and employment opportunities in the Athol-Orange area are looking up.
According to David Ames, Athol Town Manager, and Steve Raymond, Director of the North Quabbin Chamber of Commerce, the proposed North Quabbin Retail and Business Park in is slated to provide:
• About 450,000 square feet of retail space
• At least 3 major retail stores
• A hotel, a bank and one or more restaurants
• Office and business areas
• About 800 openings for new jobs
• Up to $1,000,000 in annual property tax payments
Mr. Ames recently told Four Columns Realty that 2 anchor tenants (a grocery store and a leading retailer) are on board. The developers are close to signing up a third major retail store. We have heard reports that a well-known home improvement outlet is interested.
The proposed location, off Templeton Road (Route 2A) about a mile east of uptown Athol, is close to Route 2 and an easy drive from many places in the North Quabbin Region.
The developers are now performing site engineering studies, preparing infrastructure grant proposals and searching for additional tenants. While Athol town officials and Massachusetts development agencies say they back the proposal, some hurdles remain. Groundbreaking will not happen before next year.
Although it will take some time, Mr. Raymond expects the proposed North Quabbin Retail and Business Park to become an important part of the Athol-Orange area within the next few years. Four Columns Realty agrees.
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