Page 18 - BusinessWest August 22, 2022

So much so that determining just what consti- tutes ‘success’ at this new and decidedly different location is a difficult assignment.
“We are flying the plane as we build it in many respects,” D’Amour explained. “We know how
to operate a supermarket, and we’re constantly tweaking that model, but when we open a new store, we have a very good idea of what success in that store will look like and what we need to do to achieve it. With this model, we’re trying to be a lot more flexible, even from our design standpoint.
“We don’t fully know what our lunch business is going to be like in the area; we don’t fully know what our after-work, prime-time, rush-on-the- way-home-from-work business is going to be like,” he went on. “We’re trying to build in some flexibility that’s going to allow us to adapt, once we do open, to what the customers’ needs are.”
Overall, this story is an intriguing one on a number of levels. For starters, there is the obvious need for a grocery store being filled. Meanwhile, the recruitment of Big Y marks another imagina- tive reuse of space in Tower Square by owners Vid Mitta and Dinesh Patel, who previously landed the YMCA of Greater Springfield and White Lion Brewery, among others, as tenants. And this new development was made possible by federal COV- ID-relief funds, making this is an example of how those monies have been put to work by the city to improve specific neighborhoods, including down- town (more on that later).
For now, the plan is to have the store open by next spring, said D’Amour, adding that there are some challenges to meeting that timeline, includ- ing supply-chain issues that make getting need- ing materials and equipment, like shelving, some- what of an adventure.
As for the store itself, it will feature most of the same departments as a typical Big Y World Class Market (there will not be a pharmacy), but, obvi- ously, a smaller volume of items.
now.
“It’s fair to say that it’s been decades,” he
noted, adding quickly that, while the company hasn’t been actively pursuing something all that time, it has long understood that there is both need and opportunity involved with such an undertaking.
“We’ve had a very long, positive relationship
As for customers, Big Y believes it will draw from several different constituencies, including those living downtown, those working in both Tower Square and other surrounding office build- ings, those coming to Tower
Square on other business, such
as daycare services at the Big Y,
and others.
“
To the outside observer, they see us operating
“We think there’s going
to be a good mix,” he noted.
“Tower Square is a pretty
robust facility, and there are a
lot of people who work there
who may be living in Spring-
field or commuting from
outside the city who may be
looking to grab something after
work for dinner or grab some-
thing to help fill the fridge, and
it saves them a trip to a traditional supermarket. There’s also a good number of residents that live right downtown as well. We think there will be a healthy mix.”
For this issue and its focus on commercial real estate, BusinessWest talked at length with D’Amour about how this concept came together and why the initiative represents pioneering on a number of levels.
Location, Location, Location
D’Amour said Big Y has been looking at down- town Springfield with an eye toward possibly opening some type of store there for some time
with the city of Springfield, being headquartered here, and we’ve got a great relationship with the mayor’s office,” he went on. “So there’s just been a constant dialogue about what opportunities are there.”
Matters moved beyond the dialogue stage thanks to a number of puzzle pieces coming together, he went on, noting that the first was the location that became available when CVS vacated its longtime home in Tower Square for a location about a half-mile south on Main Street.
“The new owners of Tower Square came to
us with this opportunity — everything just came together at the right time,” said D’Amour, noting that the company not only recognized an oppor-
supermarkets and say, ‘this is just a smaller format.’ But it’s really a completely new venture for us, everything from distribution to operations to trucking ... we’ve never operated a downtown, urban-format market before, so there are a whole lot of unknowns for us.”
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18 AUGUST 22, 2022
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
BusinessWest