The mall would be built on a site near I-93, and would not only require rezoning by the town, but also the construction of a new interchange to service it, which would need state and federal approval.
Proponents of the mall argue that the town, which is facing a budget shortfall of about $800,000 in fiscal 2005, will need the revenue ultimately generated by the development. According to some estimates--disputed by the mall's detractors--the mall will bring $1.6 million to $3.1 million annually to town coffers, the actual figure depending on how much the municipality spends on public safety for the mall. The mall would also generate construction jobs during its development, and retail jobs after that.
Detractors say that the mall's impact on traffic on nearby surface roads would be more than the 8% increase from current conditions (at peak evening hours) cited in a study drafted on behalf of Mills Corp. They also say that the development would adversely affect retail shops in neighboring towns such as Andover, Billerica and Lowell.
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