When news broke yesterday that Wegmans wanted to open a store in Boston, it conjured memories of the epic opening of the first Wegmans in New England in Northborough late last year. Crushes of people, effusive praise, cats and dogs living together in some retail Valhalla. Well, such might come to one of two neighborhoods, according to The Globe's Jenn Abelson, who broke yesterday's news:
Wegmans’ officials on Wednesday toured sites in the Fenway, including those owned by Samuels & Associates, one of the neighborhood’s major developers, as well as the former Boston Herald location in the South End, according to people briefed on the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. The South End property, near the Southeast Expressway, will have 85,000 square feet of retail. Whole Foods had kicked the tires there, but passed after opening in Jamaica Plain. The corollary to all this means that Wegmans, in fact, is not looking at Downtown Crossing (or the Southie waterfront, for that matter), rumors of which were sweeping the city yesterday. Stay tuned.
· Wegmans Sets Goal to Open in Boston [Globe]
[Wegmans in Northborough; visitingnewengland.com]