Acton Plaza Shopping Center to Receive Makeover

The Acton Plaza Shopping Center will receive a facelift after the Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed last week to the makeover.

In a meeting on June 24 that was recorded by Acton TV, the Board OK'd the upgrades despite worries from neighbors on Main Street and Route 27, and Massachusetts Avenue and Route 111, regarding noise and light pollution during nighttime work.

Residents can expect the night work to last two weeks at Upper Acton Plaza; three weeks at the lower plaza

Senior Project Manager Keith Hague at Edens said the timetable is a worst-case scenario and that Eden would work with the construction company to minimize the night work schedule as much as possible.

Hague, along with Joshua Swerling, professional engineer at Bohler Engineering, and Brian Levey, attorney at Beveridge & Diamond, presented the plans for the plaza, which houses Roche Bros. and Not Your Average Joe’s.

"The project will result in 19 new parking spaces," Hague said. "We're not expanding the parking lot."

Among the planned improvements are:

• 6-foot sidewalk addition on Main Street leading to No Name Road toward  the lower level;
  
• Addition of a playground area, bike racks and outdoor seating area;
  
• Grading improvements;
  
• Landscaping;
• Bicycle racks;
• Lighting adjustments and fixture replacements.

Start of the construction is planned for mid-July. The night work schedule is planned to be complete by November.

Hague said none of the buildings will increase its square footage.

"It's really important to do this work at night," Hague said. "We're talking about 23 nights of construction. If we didn't do this at night, it would probably push this through the winter and possibly into the spring."