Terrain Café Proposal for Boston Post Road Site Raises Economic Hopes and Business Concerns
The Economic Development Committee (EDC) heard what started as public comment that lasted for an hour about a proposal for redeveloping 297 and 311 Boston Post Road, the Wayland Village Shopping Center aka the former Whole Foods Building and the Dentist offices, into a Terrain restaurant, event space, and retail store operated by URBN, the parent company of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.
Th e Wayland Village Shopping Center is a 32,000-square-foot center on a 3.29-acre business-zoned lot with 160 parking spaces, anchored by Th e Fresh Market who never opened there but is paying a lease through 2033. Whole Foods is 19,200 sq. ft.
Attorney Josh Fox, representing URBN, explained that the proposal calls for reusing the existing buildings without expanding their footprint. Terrain would include a farm-to-table style restaurant, a 9,000-square-foot event space for functions (175 seats) such as weddings with a 4,500 square feet restaurant (120 seats), a shared kitchen of 3,600 square feet and approximately 6,500 square feet of Terrain-branded retail, including 1,000 to 1,500 square feet dedicated to live greenery.
Fox said the event space would operate year-round and target Friday and Saturday nights primarily, with the goal of booking nearly every weekend. The project would also renovate the former Coldwell Banker building into an event sales office, a groom suite, and a bride suite.
Grossman Development would own the property and lease it to its tenant, URBN, which would operate the Terrain brand if the project could be successfully permitted in a short time frame no later than June. Grossman Development Group, LLC (“GDG”) is a vertically integrated developer, owner and manager of retail real estate started in 2009 and a local company based in Framingham.
Fox explained that there are two sellers involved, and that Grossman is working to close both transactions simultaneously to purchase the entire plaza and is actively involved in due diligence towards acquiring the property.
Rebecca Stanizzi, Robert Hummel, and others noted that current ownership of the plaza has been detrimental for the town, pointing out that the space had been vacant for seven years because of the restrictive leasing deal with Fresh Market.
Fox emphasized that Terrain would focus on high-end furnishings, decor, and curated greenery, which he said differs significantly from Russell’s Garden Center’s offerings. Fox stated that Terrain uses local purveyors and farms for both the restaurant and event spaces and noted that the retail selection was too small to resemble a full garden center.
Elizabeth Russell Skehan, co-owner of Russell’s Garden Center and a Pelham Island Road resident, spoke during public comment, raising strong concerns about direct competition. Skehan noted that Terrain’s product categories—home goods, live plants, flowers, and gifts—closely overlap with those of Russell’s. She also expressed worry that if Terrain’s furniture-focused retail model fails, the company might shift to more extensive garden center sales, increasing competition against local businesses.
Skehan cited Urban’s Form 10-K filings, noting that Terrain’s financial results are consolidated with Anthropologie, making it difficult to evaluate the concept’s success separately. She further noted that Urbn recorded $4.6 million in store impairment and lease abandonment charges in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 and $11.9 million in fiscal 2024, raising concerns about the company’s risk tolerance and potential impacts on Wayland if the project struggles.
Skehan requested that the Zoning Board of Appeals condition approval to prevent outdoor plant sales in the parking lot, the construction of greenhouses or glass-roofed structures, and ensure adequate parking to avoid overflow onto Pelham Island Road or Route 20. She also raised concerns about wastewater management and its potential effect on the Sudbury River floodplain.
Economic Development Committee member Val Ilchenko acknowledged Skehan’s concerns but pointed out that Terrain’s restaurant concept could complement existing businesses and serve as a new destination to increase traffic to Wayland. Ilchenko and member Jesse Lopez both emphasized that Wayland’s limited number of commercial draws puts it at a disadvantage compared to neighboring towns, and that bringing new, high-quality businesses could strengthen the town’s economic base.
Committee member Jeff Vecchio questioned the suitability of the location for a wedding destination in a strip mall parking lot. Stanizzi noted that the architecture of the former Whole Foods building, with its large wooden trusses, could offer a unique venue setting. Fox responded that Terrain chose Wayland because it fits their pattern of locating near semi-rural but affluent communities and added that Urbn is aware of the area’s strong income demographics.
Fox estimated that construction would take nine months to a year, with a goal of opening sometime in 2026 if zoning approvals are secured. Fox indicated that the project will require a special permit for restaurant use and parking configuration from the Zoning Board of Appeals, with a hearing scheduled for May.
Fox hopes to have a single meeting and be done with the ZBA in May. He thought the project would be manageable if the permitting process trickles to June, but delays beyond that date would cause the property acquisition deal and the retailer’s commitment to fall through putting the parcel(s) back on the market.
Robert Hummel, Town Planner, confirmed that reasonable conditions could be placed on the special permit to address concerns, such as prohibiting large-scale outdoor retail and requiring any future significant changes to seek ZBA approval.
Next Steps After Town Meeting
The EDC also briefly discussed outreach efforts to attract new businesses with the passage of Article 20 allowing zoning for pickup windows. Hummel reported that outreach has begun to coffee, custard, and other specialty food businesses.
Committee members agreed to consolidate contact information for businesses and property owners along Route 20 for the EDC to reach out about design plans following the approval of Rehabilitation Design of Route 20 Corridor by the passage at Annual Town Meeting of Article 10, motion 2, DPW item 7 of the Fiscal Year 2026 Capital budget, which provides $250,000 for design of sidewalk and curb cut improvements on Route 20 needed to seek a state TIP grant. The funding came from Receipts Reserved for Sale of Real Estate Fund (Rivers Edge Sale).
This separate Rehabilitation Design initiative needs to be coordinated with a proposed Route 20 Master Plan based on work of the BETA Group, Inc. last presented in February 2024 and which will be reviewed by a joint Select and Planning Board meeting on May 6th.
By February 2024, real estate developer Mill Creek decided not to proceed with a 172 unit, 40B affordable housing local initiative project (LIP) that was proposed to the Select Board beginning in March 2022. Forty-three of the units or 25%, would have been affordable and all 172 units would be eligible for inclusion on the Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI), ensuring that Wayland remained over the 10% Safe Harbor for the immediate future.
