The long-awaited Stop & Shop on Canal Street in the West End may finally be happening, according to Tom Grillo of the Boston Herald:
“Stop & Shop is expected to break ground this fall on Canal Street near the TD Garden.”
“Trinity Financial recently reached an agreement with Stop & Shop to build a long-awaited Canal Street supermarket on the first two floors of a 12-story apartment building.”
The parcel is in the West End, but nearly abuts the North End, at the far end of the Rose Kennedy Greenway near TD Garden along N. Washington Street. The development will be called “One Canal.”
Last fall, the neighborhood was surprised and not too pleased with Trinity’s consideration of a Target store instead of Stop & Shop next to its existing Archstone Avenir apartment building. All that seems to be history now with Stop & Shop and the developer having come to terms.
While it looks like the project is moving forward, for those residents that started advocating for a supermarket more than 10 years ago, seeing will be believing.
I don't get it. The photo is not Canal St. Canal St. is on the other side of Avenir. Avenir is bounded by Canal, Causeway, Haverhill and Valenti Way. The parcel appears to be on Haverhill St. and crossing Valenti Way. Why is the new building going to be called "One Canal"?
Heather – Take a look at this link and look at the map in the upper right:
http://news.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1281495&srvc=home&position=active
You are right in that there is only a small section on Canal St. Most of it is between N. Washington, Beverly and Valenti Way, but apparently they are using One Canal as the name/address.
So if I understand this correctly, in addition to a market in the Parcel 7 Garage they're adding a supermarket as well? How much food do we need and what will this do to our local markets?
There is a difference between the upscale produce & other MA products market proposed for the Parcel 7 garage and an AFFORDABLE supermarket for the North End/West End and Beacon Hill neighborhoods. The local markets are primarily specialty markets and they will survive. Places like Goin bananas will have to alter its strategy of providing staples at 3 to 5 times what is charged in a supermarket like stop & shop. Johhnies Foodmaster in Charlestown should have more to be concerned about when/if Stop & Shop finally opens.Peapod might lose some business. Convenience stores will continue to sell milk, bread, snacks, ice cream, cigarettes, lottery tickets. No one will be sticking a gone to anyone else's head to shop in the new Stop & Shop. If people want to pay $4 for a tiny bottle of mayo rather then walk across to Canal St they will be free to do so.
Thanks, Matt! I'd no idea the parcel looked like that.
I agree with mariannec. It seems like an awful lot of specialty food in a small area and now a grocery store too? I moved to the north end a few years ago because I really like going to the butcher, green grocer, fish monger, etc. and supporting small business. I'm concerned that these small shops won't survive because they won't be able to compete with stop & shop prices. It seems to me that people like the idea of supporting small business but when push comes to shove it's giants like stop & shop that win out. I hope the neighborhood is able to retain it's charm and continue to support the small businesses that I've grown to love. I also heard Legal seafood is looking at the J Pace space on Cross St. Is it me or is the north end going suburban?
@Candace..There are people who will continue to shop in local markets. But there senior citizens and others who cannot afford to buy everything in specialty shops and convenience stores who have had to take a bus to the supermarkets since Whole Foods moved in to the space where there used to be a Stop& Shop. People have been working and fighting for over ten years to get an affordable supermarket back into the area to serve the needs of the North End, West End and Beacon Hill. , Stores like Goin Bananas might have to adapt to compete. I still buy meat and produce and bread and deli items and Italian cheeses from local stores and coffee & spices from Polcari's but I buy canned tomatoes and staples like flour, sugar, cereal, frozen items, dried pasta, rice, mustard, ketchup, etc at a supermarket where the prices are one half to one fourth those in North End. As for the North End going suburban….I don't think so…but it sure has been Disneyfied and Yuppified in the last ten years.
I'm glad we're getting a supermarket. I would have liked something other than S & S, but it will save me from using Peapod to deliver basics. Sorry, but I just don't have time to go to the fishmonger (?) the butcher, etc., every couple of days. Also, the small stores don't have the variety of products I need. I'll still buy cupcakes at Lulu's, tuna on French bread at Going Bananas, I'll still be eating at North End restaurants, using a North End hair stylist, and so on. Every business I already support in the North End I'll still support. Only my Peapod usage will end. That will save me money and the several extra hours I have to set aside for Peapod delivery since they sometimes run an hour or more late. I also look forward to shopping once in a while at the new market featuring MA products. That will cut down a bit on my S & S buying.
So wanting a new supermarket doesn't necessarily mean we don't support local businesses. I think we can have both.
Sorry Candace but the North End went suburban about 15 years ago. These small stores are fine for one person but no way can a family afford them. A Stop & Shop would be a welcome addition. Maybe Going Bananas will drop the price of a 2L Coke from $3.