Golden Triangle (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
The Golden Triangle is one of the largest retail districts in New England
and is located on the borders of Framingham
and Natick
, Massachusetts, in the heart of the MetroWest
region of the state. The district is anchored by the two malls in the area, Shoppers World and the Natick Collection
. The 3 mi2 area is the second largest shopping district in Massachusetts outside of Downtown Crossing
in Boston.
. In 1993, the area began to expand beyond the borders of the triangle with construction of a BJ's Wholesale Club
and a Super Stop & Shop
just north of Route 30. It now includes the original area plus parts of Old Connecticut Path, Concord St. (Route 126) and Speen St. north of Route 30. Because of the size and complexity of the area, Framingham and Natick cooperatively operate it as a single distinct district with similar zoning
.
The area was formed with the construction of Shoppers World in 1951. Shoppers' World was a large open air shopping mall
, the second in the US and the first east of the Mississippi River
. The mall drew many other retail construction projects to the area, the first of which was Sherwood Plaza built in 1959. In April of 1960, when Sherwood Plaza opended for business, it contained and Elm Farm Food store, a W.T. Grant store and the third Zayre
store in the Zayre chain as well as the only Zayre warehouse, and the Zayre main offices. Retail developments thereafter included Marshalls
(1961, rebuilt as Bed, Bath and Beyond 1997), Caldor
(1966, Rebuilt as Wal-Mart
in 2002), Bradlees
(1960s, rebuilt as Kohl's
in 2002), the Route 30 Mall (1970), an AMC Framingham 15
, the Framingham Mall (1978, rebuilt 2000) and Lowes (formally the Verizon Building, 2006). Complementary developments in Natick include the Natick Mall (1966, rebuilt in 1994, expanded 2007), Cloverleaf Marketplace (1978) and the Home Depot. In 1994, Shoppers' World was demolished and replaced with a strip mall named Shoppers World. There are also seven hotels and two car dealerships located within the Triangle.
In addition to retail properties, there are large office developments located in the area including several companies headquartered in the triangle; the world headquarters of TJX is located at the junction of Route 30 and Speen St, as is the main office of IDG
and IDC
. Breyers
, Leggat McCall, the American Heart Association
and the American Cancer Society
have facilities in the area. Boston Scientific
headquarters is housed in Natick, in the old Carling
Brewery building and former Prime
parkway complex. BJ's Wholesale Club
's headquarters is located behind Sherwood Plaza on Route 9, on the south side of the triangle. In all there are over a dozen large office complexes located in and along the borders of the Triangle.
Before the town of Framingham enacted a ban on large scale multi-unit apartment buildings in the mid 1970s, two larger complexes were built in on the edges of what is now the west and south ends of the triangle. The first constructed was the Lord Chesterfield complex on Greenview St. It is a series of six two-story buildings with approximately forty units per building with a small amenities building on the west side of the lot. The Bayberry Hill apartments are a larger six-story building limited-access complex on Dinsmore Ave. on the southwest side.
Since the construction of the two apartment complexes, the level of housing in the triangle has remained the same or dropped as older homes were demolished or converted to business use. However, the addition of the Nouvelle at Natick condominiums at the Natick Mall in 2008 added over 300 luxury housing units in the heart of the region. The units, part of the reconstruction of the Natick Mall, are part of the "lifestyle center" concept envisioned by mall owner General Growth Properties
. The units, ranging from $200,000-$1,000,000, are marketed with such amenities as concierge
service, valet
service, a roof-top garden, exclusive access to the mall and membership to a local, high-end health club
. As of December 2008, the complex did not meet the sales expectations of the company; additionally, General Growth's financial troubles began to worry residents over the future of the facility.
A second set of apartments featuring 404 units in two 11-story buildings opened at the east end of the Cloverleaf Market place, a former mall that once housed a K-Mart.
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and is located on the borders of Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
and Natick
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
, Massachusetts, in the heart of the MetroWest
MetroWest
MetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
region of the state. The district is anchored by the two malls in the area, Shoppers World and the Natick Collection
Natick Collection
The Natick Mall, formerly named the Natick Collection from February 2007 to July 2011, is a large shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties . It is located between routes 9 and 30 in Natick, Massachusetts and is adjacent to Shoppers World in Framingham, Massachusetts...
. The 3 mi2 area is the second largest shopping district in Massachusetts outside of Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing
Downtown Crossing is a shopping district in Boston, Massachusetts, located due east of Boston Common and west of the Financial District. It features large department stores as well as restaurants, music stores, souvenir sellers, general retail establishments, and many street vendors...
in Boston.
History
The Golden Triangle was originally a three square mile district on the eastern side of Framingham, bordered by Worcester Rd. (Route 9), Cochituate Rd. (Route 30), and Speen Street in NatickNatick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
. In 1993, the area began to expand beyond the borders of the triangle with construction of a BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. , commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well as in the state of Ohio...
and a Super Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is a chain of supermarkets located mostly in the northeastern United States. Its main rivals are Shaw's Star Market and Hannaford in New England, while ShopRite and the A&P family of supermarkets are its main competition in New York and New Jersey.- History :Stop...
just north of Route 30. It now includes the original area plus parts of Old Connecticut Path, Concord St. (Route 126) and Speen St. north of Route 30. Because of the size and complexity of the area, Framingham and Natick cooperatively operate it as a single distinct district with similar zoning
Zoning
Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...
.
The area was formed with the construction of Shoppers World in 1951. Shoppers' World was a large open air shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
, the second in the US and the first east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The mall drew many other retail construction projects to the area, the first of which was Sherwood Plaza built in 1959. In April of 1960, when Sherwood Plaza opended for business, it contained and Elm Farm Food store, a W.T. Grant store and the third Zayre
Zayre
Zayre was a chain of discount stores that operated in the Northeastern, Southern and Midwestern United States from 1956 to 1990. The company's headquarters was in Framingham, Massachusetts. In 1988, the Zayre department stores were sold to the parent company of the competing Ames chain, and Zayre's...
store in the Zayre chain as well as the only Zayre warehouse, and the Zayre main offices. Retail developments thereafter included Marshalls
Marshalls
Marshalls, Inc., is a chain of American department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 750 conventional stores, as well as larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico. Marshalls expanded into Canada in March 2011...
(1961, rebuilt as Bed, Bath and Beyond 1997), Caldor
Caldor
Caldor was a chain of American discount department stores headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, operating throughout the northeastern United States. At one time, the company was a subsidiary of May Department Stores; Caldor was among the country's largest discount retailers.Despite being a popular...
(1966, Rebuilt as Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
in 2002), Bradlees
Bradlees
Bradlees was a chain of discount department stores which operated primarily in the Northeastern United States. The chain went bankrupt in 2000 and all of its stores were closed by March 2001.-History:...
(1960s, rebuilt as Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
in 2002), the Route 30 Mall (1970), an AMC Framingham 15
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
, the Framingham Mall (1978, rebuilt 2000) and Lowes (formally the Verizon Building, 2006). Complementary developments in Natick include the Natick Mall (1966, rebuilt in 1994, expanded 2007), Cloverleaf Marketplace (1978) and the Home Depot. In 1994, Shoppers' World was demolished and replaced with a strip mall named Shoppers World. There are also seven hotels and two car dealerships located within the Triangle.
In addition to retail properties, there are large office developments located in the area including several companies headquartered in the triangle; the world headquarters of TJX is located at the junction of Route 30 and Speen St, as is the main office of IDG
IDG
International Data Group is a technology media, research, event management, and venture capital organization.IDG evolved from International Data Corporation which was formed in 1964 in Newtonville, Massachusetts, by Patrick Joseph McGovern and a friend, Fred Kirch...
and IDC
International Data Corporation
International Data Corporation is a market research and analysis firm specializing in information technology, telecommunications and consumer technology. IDC is a subsidiary of International Data Group...
. Breyers
Breyers
Breyers is a brand of frozen dessert and ice cream owned by Unilever . They have a large plant in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, outside Boston....
, Leggat McCall, the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
and the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
have facilities in the area. Boston Scientific
Boston Scientific
The Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
headquarters is housed in Natick, in the old Carling
Carling
Carling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
Brewery building and former Prime
Prime Computer
Prime Computer, Inc. was a Natick, Massachusetts-based producer of minicomputers from 1972 until 1992. The alternative spellings "PR1ME" and "PR1ME Computer" were used as brand names or logos by the company.-Founders:...
parkway complex. BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. , commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well as in the state of Ohio...
's headquarters is located behind Sherwood Plaza on Route 9, on the south side of the triangle. In all there are over a dozen large office complexes located in and along the borders of the Triangle.
Housing
In the 1950s, when Shopper's World was constructed, the area was a mixture of farmland and single family housing. Since that time, the majority of the single family homes were raized and replaced with commercial properties or turned into commercial properties. The remaining homes in the area are found at the west end of the Triangle in several small subdivisions.Before the town of Framingham enacted a ban on large scale multi-unit apartment buildings in the mid 1970s, two larger complexes were built in on the edges of what is now the west and south ends of the triangle. The first constructed was the Lord Chesterfield complex on Greenview St. It is a series of six two-story buildings with approximately forty units per building with a small amenities building on the west side of the lot. The Bayberry Hill apartments are a larger six-story building limited-access complex on Dinsmore Ave. on the southwest side.
Since the construction of the two apartment complexes, the level of housing in the triangle has remained the same or dropped as older homes were demolished or converted to business use. However, the addition of the Nouvelle at Natick condominiums at the Natick Mall in 2008 added over 300 luxury housing units in the heart of the region. The units, part of the reconstruction of the Natick Mall, are part of the "lifestyle center" concept envisioned by mall owner General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties
General Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
. The units, ranging from $200,000-$1,000,000, are marketed with such amenities as concierge
Concierge
A concierge is an employee who either works in shifts within, or lives on the premises of an apartment building or a hotel and serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler. The position can also be maintained by a security officer over the 'graveyard' shift. A similar position, known as...
service, valet
Valet
Valet and varlet are terms for male servants who serve as personal attendants to their employer.- Word origins :In the Middle Ages, the valet de chambre to a ruler was a prestigious appointment for young men...
service, a roof-top garden, exclusive access to the mall and membership to a local, high-end health club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
. As of December 2008, the complex did not meet the sales expectations of the company; additionally, General Growth's financial troubles began to worry residents over the future of the facility.
A second set of apartments featuring 404 units in two 11-story buildings opened at the east end of the Cloverleaf Market place, a former mall that once housed a K-Mart.