SWAMPSCOTT — Centercorp Retail came before the Planning Board to unveil its new plans for major redesigns of the Swampscott Mall, on Wednesday evening.
Centercorp partnered with Prellwitz Chilinski Associates (PCA), an architecture firm, to revitalize the shopping center with an emphasis on new restaurants and residential buildings. PCA has its own history with the town and surrounding communities, being responsible for popular developments such as Lynnfield’s Market Street and Legacy Place in Dedham.
PCA’s designs aim to bring a “21st-century feel” to the Swampscott Mall, owner Andy Rose said.
“Thanks to the help of the PCA, we were able to meet all of the zoning guidelines given by the town,” Rose said. “We absolutely delivered what the vision was for this project.”
The project is consistent with the zoning approvals and design guidelines that were approved by the Planning Board and Swampscott Town Meeting in 2023, according to the Swampscott Mall Redevelopment Summary.
“What we want to do, essentially, is give residents a ‘third location,’ so to speak,” Founder and President of PCA Architects David Chilinski said. “They have work, they have their homes, but we want to give them a third space to come, relax, where they can come, meet their friends and relax.”
The project is set to include three new restaurants with significant outdoor seating, a new 163-unit apartment building, which would include 17 affordable apartments, and new pedestrian walkways, seating, and streetlights.
There will also be a focus on “significant sustainability measures,” according to the redevelopment summary. This includes charging stations for electric vehicles, an increase of landscaped areas and trees by 32%, and using native plantings throughout the area.
Rose said the next step is a meeting in January, during which the town will consider any comments or possible amendments that are proposed before then. If every party involved agrees, the project moves forward. It was noted that work on redeveloping the area will be expected to commence early in 2025.
Centercorp Retail was founded in 1983 by Rose and fellow Swampscott resident Mark Klaman. The company’s specialty is lifestyle retail, grocery-centric regional strip centers, and suburban community centers, according to its website.
