The Shops at Riverwood: Goodwill Industries’ Groundbreaking Ceremony

By Michael P. Manship

The Shops at Riverwood Groundbreaking

The Shops at Riverwood is a project owned and developed by Finard Properties.  The site is located in Hyde Park, Boston, MA on the grounds of the former Bay State Paper Mill along the Neponset River.  The adjacent water way and surrounding neighborhood make this an intriguing development site; one especially well-suited to thoughtful tenanting and consideration of the needs of the surrounding community.  Currently, the site contains two completed buildings, but it will eventually support a handful more, collectively creating a well-rounded retail center.

Aerial View of Building Site and Papermill Structure on Site

Finard Properties has worked tirelessly with local civic and political leaders and the Boston Planning & Development Agency to carefully select a development opportunity that serves the community’s needs, as the next component of The Shops at Riverwood.  Adding a 11,000 sf Goodwill Industries store as a key anchor tenant truly strengthens the sense of community that this center aims to foster.  Goodwill’s goal of providing job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people who have barriers preventing them from otherwise obtaining a job, along with a project master plan that will ultimately include a mix of grocery, dining and small shop retail, as well as the new Boston Preparatory Charter Public School directly across the street, insure The Shops at Riverwood will become a centerpiece of this diverse neighborhood.  The current building site includes a Price Chopper and a Dollar Tree.  Additional tenants will include a Burger King and, of course, the new Goodwill Industries store.

 Form + Place is proud to be part of the Finard Properties team. We are pleased to have created a design that is in keeping with the existing site context while meeting the needs of the developer and tenants.  We look forward to continuing to work with Finard and the construction manager, The Stukel Group, during the construction phase of this project.  We have every expectation that The Shops at Riverwood will be a great success for everyone involved, but most importantly, for the neighborhood that it serves.

New Goodwill Industries Building - Supporting Community Needs