Waltham Market Basket construction moving forward again

Despite ongoing conflict between corporate authorities, construction on the Market Basket at the former Polaroid site will continue and the store could open by years end, according to the developers attorney.

Construction at 1265 Main St. was suspended in early September when developers stopped receiving consistent payments.

The hiccup in operations was a result of an ongoing power struggle between company president Arthur T. Demoulas and his cousin, board member Arthur S. Demoulas. Construction continued at the site, however, at the end of September, with the exception of Market Basket.

Last month after a board meeting, the Demoulas Supermarkets (DSM) Board of Directors gave authorization to sign a lease with site developers, securing Market Baskets space and allowing construction to continue.

Since that [meeting] we were notified by the board that they approved the lease, said Scott Lang, attorney for Retail Management and Development Inc. Since the board approved the lease, the focus has been on the co-tenants and getting the project moving ahead to meet construction deadlines.

The board started a website and wrote that it authorized management to sign the lease that would allow the project to proceed.

"Its great news for the city, Mayor Jeannette McCarthy said. Its a huge economic project for the city that means jobs and Im very happy its going forward because we put a lot ofworkinto it to assist them."

In a Dec. 18 letter addressed to associates and the public, board members wrote that they told management to proceed with the opening of Attleboro, and that other projects have issues that still need to be addressed and resolved by management.

The lease agreement secures Market Baskets space at 1265 Main, which means developers will not need to seek out a new tenant, according to Lang.

Despite multiple attempts, DSM board director and attorney Keith Cowan could not be reached for comment. The listed Market Basket corporate headquarters phone number went straight to a message saying its switchboard was closed.

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Waltham Market Basket construction moving forward again