Framingham Firm Buys Downtown Westborough Shopping Center

WESTBOROUGH, MA — A Framingham property developer has acquired Westborough's Bay State Commons, a former industrial site rebuilt more than a decade ago with retail and residential spaces.

Bay State Commons is home to a variety of major stores, including Roche Bros., Panera Bread and Ted's Montana Grill, plus condos. But Grossman Development Group principal Jeremy Grossman said plaza has "enormous potential."

"Our company excels at curating sustainable merchandising and improving the customer experience in public spaces, which will be a terrific complement to existing downtown programming," he said in a news release.

Grossman has developed several major shopping plazas in New England, including the new Whole Foods plaza along Route 9 in Shrewsbury, the former Spag's site.

In the near term, the company plans to make a series of investments in Bay State Commons, including new sidewalks and landscaping, and hosting community events.

The shopping plaza was built on 56 acres that was formerly the home of Bay State Abrasives. The plaza was completed in 2008.