Trader Joe's in North Andover? Not Likely

If there's one thing many North Andover residents seem to agree on, it's a desire to see Trader Joe's open up a store in North Andover.

But don't hold your breath.

"How closely do you work with Trader Joe's?" Selectman Rosemary Smedile asked property manager Paul Simon (who was part of the team with Oakgrove presenting a propsal to buy the Bradstreet School property) Monday night, hinting of the possibility of that business going into the Bradstreet location.

She added that she was joking, but emphasized that many in town would love to see Trader Joe's come to town.

The problem with that is that, Simon responded -- and Water Street Retail spokesman Stephen Stapinski agreed -- is that Trader Joe's requires a certain amount of space as well as a larger amount of traffic than the Bradstreet location has to offer.

And Trader Joe's can be selective, given its skyrocketing popularity.

"I don't think there's a town in Massachusetts that doesn't want Trader Joe's," Stapinski said.

But who knows? Perhaps the town may woo Trader Joe's after the Route 125 corridor is developed. That is still a long way away, though, so for now it's just a dream.