Arsenal Yards (formerly known as Arsenal Mall from 1983 to 2013 and the Arsenal Project from 2013 to 2016) is a mixed-use,

smart growth Smart growth is an urban planning and transportation theory that concentrates growth in compact walkable urban centers to avoid sprawl. It also advocates compact, transit-oriented, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood sc ...

development in

Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and is part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Square, and the West End. Waterto ...

. The area is home to the original Arsenal Mall site, which is currently being redeveloped for Arsenal Yards. The construction of the site is expected to be finished in 2022. It includes of retail and restaurants, of office space, a 150-room

Hampton Inn Hampton by Hilton, formerly known (and still commonly referred to) as Hampton Inn or Hampton Inn & Suites, is an American chain of hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. The Hampton hotel brand is a chain of moderately priced, budget to midscale ...

hotel, and 425 residences.

History

Located on the site of the former

Watertown Arsenal The Watertown Arsenal was a major American arsenal located on the northern shore of the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts. The site is now registered on the ASCE's List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and on the US Nationa ...

, predating the Civil War, New England Development opened the mall as Arsenal Marketplace in 1983. Original anchor stores included Marshalls and Ann & Hope. Ann & Hope closed in the early 2000s, and was replaced by Home Depot and (since closed) Linens 'n Things (replaced by Golfsmith). Simon Property Group purchased the center in 1999. The mall featured the only digital game clock (made by the Day Sign Company of Toronto, Canada) ever used at the Boston Garden (from 1969–70 until closure) in its food court. The mall was then purchased by developers Boylston Properties and The Wilder Companies in 2013 and renamed The Arsenal Project. In 2016, plans were introduced by Boylston Properties to redevelop the property into Arsenal Yards, a mixed-use neighborhood for residents and visitors. In January 2017, the Watertown Planning Board unanimously approved the plans. Two stores remained open throughout the duration of construction –

Marshalls Marshalls is an American chain of off-price department stores owned by TJX Companies. Marshalls has over 1,000 American stores, including larger stores named Marshalls Mega Store, covering 42 states and Puerto Rico, and 61 stores in Canada. M ...

and

the Home Depot The Home Depot, Inc., is an American multinational home improvement retail corporation that sells tools, construction products, appliances, and services, including fuel and transportation rentals. Home Depot is the largest home improvement re ...

. The first stores opened in late 2019, with

Old Navy Old Navy is an American clothing and accessories retailing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc. It has corporate operations in the Mission Bay neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The largest of the Old Navy stores are its ...

Gap Outlet The Gap, Inc., commonly known as Gap Inc. or Gap (stylized as GAP), is an American worldwide clothing and accessories retailer. Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher and Doris F. Fisher and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. The ...

, and

Chipotle A chipotle (, ; ), or ''chilpotle'', is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes. It comes in dif ...

, which were the last stores to be closed prior to renovation of the mall, being reopened.

Shake Shack Shake Shack is an American fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew. In 2004, it received a permit to open a permanent kiosk with ...

, Cinemaworld Majestic Cinema, and

Ulta Beauty Ulta Beauty, Inc., formerly known as Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance Inc. and before 2000 as Ulta3, is an American chain of beauty stores headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois. Ulta Beauty carries both high-end and low-end cosmetics, fragra ...

, among other stores, were opened afterward. A

hotel, Roche Bros., and other stores and restaurants were opened in 2021. A residential community within Arsenal Yards, Blvd & Bond, opened in June 2021. It is managed by the Bozzuto Group and was developed by Boylston Properties.

Gallery

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsenal Project of Watertown Shopping malls in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Watertown, Massachusetts Shopping malls established in 1983 Shopping malls disestablished in 2018 Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Massachusetts