Cornerstone Square Developer Speaks with Patch

 

 

While concerns have arisen in recent months and other residents, the man behind Cornerstone Square   believes that the project has been, and will be, a huge boon to Westford.

Scheduled for completion in Fall 2012, Cornerstone developer Robert Walker believes that the uniqueness of the 200,000+ sq. ft retail and medical office complex will not only make it a destination throughout New England, but has already improved the town as a whole.

“I don’t think there is another comparison along (I-)495, or even (route) 128,” said Walker. “Before, much of that property was either undeveloped or filled with dilapidated structures. Replace that with 13 new brick façade buildings in the heart of Westford that pay $600,000 in local taxes and will pay $100,000 to the Water Department, which doesn’t include the new Fire Station in Parkerville that has been paid for by the project.”

Walker also notes the 700 jobs expected to be created by his estimates, as well as 300 to 500 construction jobs that have been and will be created prior to the development’s opening.

Although there have been various criticisms of the project, ranging from likely additional traffic along Littleton Road and Exit 32 onto Boston Road to fears that the development will be a “strip mall” that will damage the town’s aesthetic, Walker believes that fears over the project have been overblown, and that commercial development will happen in Westford with or without Cornerstone.

“Westford was a sleepy little town 30 years ago with a few thousand people, which drew new residents in looking for that. Those new residents eventually needed a new police department and new schools, which in turn draws in more population,” he said. “How do people think all of that gets paid for? It gets paid for by commercial development.”

Hopes are also high that precedents set by the project’s appearances before local government boards, such as in the issue of the , can also help the town create more efficient planning and zoning processes for future projects.

Although no confirmation has currently been made, the project is expected to be , particularly in regards to creating a standardized set of lighting guidelines for the entire project.

More information on the development is available on the official Cornerstone Square website.