Middlesex 3 Coalition Spotlight: Eric Salerno, Town Planner/Economic Development Director at the Town of Tyngsborough

What is the most exciting economic development project for your community in 2020? Tyngsborough is looking forward to the revitalization of the retail plaza located at 440 Middlesex Rd., in the northern part of the town’s retail district. Sam Park and Co. has envisioned a transformation of the plaza where the Outback Restaurant, Mr. Mac’s and the AMC theater are located into a shopping village layout that will bring a modern look and feel, and a more pedestrian friendly layout. This coincides with the completion of Phase II of our sewer utilities expansion through that corridor and several just-completed retail and commercial construction projects all within a ¾ mile stretch of the district.

What attracts businesses to your community? Opportunity and location. Tyngsborough offers opportunities for commercial, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing with proximity to Nashua and three exits (34, 35, and 36) off of Rte. 3. Well defined, and closely located business and industrial districts with undeveloped acreage offer flexible configurations for mixed use development that support current real estate trends. Easy connectivity along Middlesex Rd. where the iconic arched bridge spans the Merrimack River offers picturesque views of the restored town center and provides excellent opportunity for hospitality and retail.

What do you like the most about doing business in the M3 region? Working for Tyngsborough provides me with the chance to help define the northern gateway to the M3 corridor. The collaborative relationships between municipalities and the regional organizations such as the M3 Coalition, planning agencies, and chambers of commerce make it an incredible place to form meaningful connections, identify opportunities, and make it a welcoming place for businesses of all sizes in a healthy variety of industries. The phenomenally talented workforce that is already living here combined with the opportunities for additional job growth come with an opportunity to improve on transportation and commute times that isn’t possible in other suburban areas.

What would you tell companies looking to move to the M3 region? Regardless of what type of opportunity your organization may be seeking, it is almost certain to be found somewhere in the M3 region. Communities have been preparing for the urban tide that has already begun to reverse and return to the 128 and 495 loops with revised zoning and visions for their business districts. Combined with the peaked real estate prices in Boston and Cambridge with the recent workforce adjustments resulting from COVID-19, the M3 region is poised for a new era and perhaps a different kind of growth that is being defined right now.