News Flash

Amesbury has published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the former Trader Alan’s Truck Stop site and is currently accepting proposals for future development.

The former Trader Alan’s Truck Stop, located at 21 Pond View Avenue consists of approximately 6.77 acres of land that is zoned as Office Park. Historically the property was privately owned and operated as a truck stop which included a diner, motel, and fueling station/service garage. The property was abandoned in the 1990s and taken by the City of Amesbury through tax foreclosure in 2001. It is currently listed as surplus municipal property.

Early in Mayor Gove’s administration, March 2020, the parcel was presented to City Council with the intent to surplus and was approved. After the Disposition Committee completed its work in the fall of 2022, the RFP is a significant milestone. The Disposition Committee process included multiple opportunities for members of the community to participate and weigh in on the future of the parcel. Those opportunities included a forum and a survey. Additionally, the Merrimack River District project and community process included the parcel in its review of the neighborhood and future land uses to complement existing development. This property is identified as a Brownfield under state and federal definitions and has been mostly remediated through the removal of underground storage tanks (UST) from the former fueling station. According to the environmental assessments that have been completed, there are no foreseen limitations for the future use of this property. 

Mayor Gove said, “Proposing this site for surplus was one of the first things I did after taking office. It’s an important parcel for redevelopment, the integrity of the neighborhood, and for our commercial growth as a community. We need to expand our capacity for commercial growth and have very few options to do so. I’m hopeful we receive responses that work for us and look forward to continuing this process.” 

The Disposition Committee and administration worked together to develop this RFP with the intent to find a user in an emerging industry while improving aesthetics of this gateway area and meeting as many of the neighborhood preferences as possible.

“The Disposition process for 21 Pond View Avenue has taken nearly 18 months so far. We appreciate the commitment and efforts of the Disposition Committee to engage stakeholders and come up with creative ideas for reusing this site so that it compliments neighborhood character and enhances Amesbury’s gateway",said Angela Cleveland, Director of Community and Economic Development.

 Completed proposals are being accepted at the Office of Community and Economic Development, 39 South Hunt Road, Municipal Development Center, Amesbury MA 01913 no later than 12:00pm, Monday, March 27, 2023. Proposals received after this time will be rejected and returned unopened.

A property briefing and tour of 21 Pond View Avenue is scheduled for Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 10:00am. The briefing will be held at Amesbury City Hall Auditorium, 62 Friend Street, Amesbury, MA. The tour will occur at 21 Pond View Avenue after the briefing, weather permitting. 

 For information on the RFP, visit the Amesbury City website at, https://www.amesburyma.gov/Bids.aspx.