By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Shrewsbury – As the town celebrates this year’s Spirit of Shrewsbury (SOS) Annual Fall Festival Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept 24, there will be one other special event tied into the weekend – the grand opening of Lakeway Commons.
Located on busy Route 9, not far from the Kenneth Burns bridge that spans Lake Quinsigamond and connects Shrewsbury and Worcester, Lakeway Commons is a 375,000 square foot mixed-use development at the site of the former iconic store, Spag’s. The development will feature 100,000 square feet of retail, 250 apartments, 14 townhomes, and be anchored by a 50,000 square foot Whole Foods. The project is being developed by the Southborough- based Grossman Development Group, LLC.
As part of the festivities Sept 23, the developer will join town and state officials to honor the legacy of late Anthony “Spag” Borgatti and his wife, Olive, who will be remembered with the unveiling of a special plaque that will be sited on the property.
Those who attend the Spirit of Shrewsbury Town Expo, which will be held at the Oak Middle School on Sept. 23, will be able to take a free shuttle to Lakeway Commons from 3:30 – 8 p.m. (A shuttle will also pick up and drop off patrons at the Hoagland-Pincus Conference Center, 222, Maple Ave., which serves as overflow parking for SOS.)
Lakeway Commons merchants will then offer shoppers a passport program where they can receive prizes, discounts and be entered into a grand raffle.
Currently Starbucks and Burton’s Grille are open at the development with many of the other businesses scheduled to be open by Sept. 23. One store that will not, however, is Whole Foods. Officials hope that the store will be open by Thanksgiving.
Other tenants will include Tavern in the Square, Visionworks, Unibank, Jenny Boston Boutique, Especially for Pets, Scottrade, Tile Works, Lunch Box, Massage Envy, QDOBA Mexican Eats, and Orangetheory Fitness.
