AMHERST, N.Y. (WBEN) T.J.Maxx, HomeGoods, Homesense and Sierra, all part of the TJX family of brands, opened Thursday on Niagara Falls Boulevard in Amherst, in the former Burlington Plaza.
The new plaza, at 1501 Niagara Falls Boulevard, will be known as The Boulevard - South District.
"This area is unbelievable in terms of the amount of interest that it continues to draw from national retailers," said Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa on WBEN Thursday.
"The TJ Maxx companies have certainly figured out how to create value for their customers. When they invested and put all of their brands in one spot, I think they're hoping that they can create a substantial interest in brick and mortar shopping."
The project came together at lightning speed. The old plaza was demolished and new buildings were rebuilt within nine months.
Kulpa said it's exciting to see investment in Amherst no matter what it is.
He said retail is buoyed by everything else going on in the town.
Asked about the traffic impact from the new plaza, Kulpa said, "There's always going to be a traffic impact, anytime you open anything new. The key now is re-working Bailey and Ridge Lea and realigning those streets so that we can continue to improve access points. The town is also getting ready for a new Costco store. Construction on that is expected to begin in the spring of 2023.
T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods both relocated to The Boulevard from 3050 Sheridan Drive in the town. "Sheridan is an area that we define as an urban renewal area," said Kulpa. "We don't think we have to be as aggressive as we have been with the Boulevard Mall. But we will keep an eye on what happens over there."
Concerning the mall, Kulpa reiterated that it has a mixed-use future. "It's meant to be a neighborhood and a density center. If you want a great housing community, it helps to have access to retail nearby."
In first quarter of 2023, Kulpa anticipates the mall will take the next step toward demolition and site preparation for its redevelopment.
