Arsenal Yards

Arsenal Yards is a mixed-use, smart growth development in Watertown, Massachusetts. The area is home to the original Arsenal Mall site, which was redeveloped for Arsenal Yards. It includes of retail and restaurants, of office space, a 150-room Hampton Inn hotel, and 425 residences.

History

Located on the site of the former Watertown Arsenal, predating the Civil War, New England Development opened the mall as Arsenal Marketplace in 1983. Original anchor stores included Marshalls and Ann & Hope. Ann & Hope closed in the early 2000s, and was replaced by Home Depot and Linens 'n Things. Simon Property Group purchased the center in 1999.
The mall featured the only digital game clock ever used at the Boston Garden in its food court.
The mall was then purchased by developers Boylston Properties and The Wilder Companies in 2013 and renamed The Arsenal Project. In 2016, plans were introduced by Boylston Properties to redevelop the property into Arsenal Yards, a mixed-use neighborhood for residents and visitors. In January 2017, the Watertown Planning Board unanimously approved the plans. Two stores remained open throughout the duration of construction – Marshalls and the Home Depot. The first stores opened in late 2019, with Old Navy, Gap Outlet, and Chipotle, which were the last stores to be closed prior to renovation of the mall, being reopened. Shake Shack, Cinemaworld Majestic Cinema, and Ulta Beauty, among other stores, were opened afterward. A Hampton Inn hotel, Roche Bros., and other stores and restaurants were opened in 2021.
A residential community within Arsenal Yards, Blvd & Bond, opened in June 2021. It is managed by the Bozzuto Group and was developed by Boylston Properties.