Trader Joe's Coming To Milford? Permits Say So, Company Says No

MILFORD, MA — The cult grocery chain Trader Joe's might be opening a new store in Milford, town records show.

The Hanover-based company MDM Construction recently pulled a permit to renovate and "pour a new slab for a Trader Joe's fit-out" in a former Staples at 220 Fortune Boulevard, according to Department of Inspections records.

A spokesperson for Trader Joe's, however, distanced the company from the location.

"We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country as we hope to open more new neighborhood stores each year. At this time, we do not have a location confirmed in Milford," the spokesperson said.

If Trader Joe's does come to Milford, it would be the chain's 23rd store in Massachusetts, but would be the first in the area. Milford sits in a Trader Joe's dead zone between the stores in Foxborough, Framingham and Shrewsbury.

The company Quarry Place Three LLC owns the plaza at 220 Fortune Boulevard, also known as the Granite Heights Market Place. That LLC is linked to another company owned by Imperial Cars owner Kevin Meehan. The plaza was previously home to a Bed, Bath & Beyond and the Staples. Granite Heights is just off the Route 85 exit along I-495, and between the Lowe's and Target stores.

A Milford Trader Joe's would be the second grocery in town linked to the German supermarket companies Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd — two legally separate companies founded by the same family a century ago. Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe's, and Aldi Süd owns the Aldi stores in the U.S. The Milford Aldi opened in October 2020.

Of course, retail development plans often change. Amazon was on its way to opening a supermarket in Westborough in 2022. The company pulled out with no explanation, and now Big Y is planning to move in.