Wayfair to occupy former Lord & Taylor at Ridge Hill; tenant‑specific facade and pedestrian improvements presented to board

Representatives for the former Lord & Taylor building at Ridge Hill presented tenant‑specific modifications June 10 after announcing Wayfair as the incoming tenant for 135 Market Street. Steven Accinari, counsel for the applicant, said Wayfair will occupy the full building and the team sought amended site plan approval for façade work, reintroduction of a crosswalk area and enclosure of a second‑floor arcade into indoor retail space.

Architects described replacement of the building’s glass façade with two‑level storefronts and new canopies at the Market Street and Cole Street entrances. "The purpose of the speed table is twofold: it's to slow down vehicular traffic and also create more of a pedestrian connection between Town Square and the building," said Donna Maiello, project planner, describing a speed table sized to engineering specifications and marked ramps and signage to enhance pedestrian access.

Max Repau, the design partner, said the second‑floor arcade will be enclosed and integrated into the Wayfair store so the façade reads continuously across the first and second floors; the team will repaint and add modest brand identity elements to secondary facades. The project team reported copies of the fire and engineering reports and said they had no outstanding comments; the board requested that the applicant submit signage drawings to staff before the next meeting. Board members did not take a vote at the presentation.