Developer presents plan to repurpose Ames Plaza into year‑round indoor marketplace

Nick Thompson, representing Advanced Maintenance Services, told the Economic Development Advisory Board that he and local partners are working with the Ames Plaza owner on physical upgrades and a plan to convert the vacant former Ames department store into a multi‑unit indoor marketplace.

Thompson said the owner has begun paying for site improvements already installed and that ‘‘the owner of the plaza is ready to write the check to install [a] sprinkler system, which means possibilities open up drastically for what this can become and what is allowed to be in there.’’ He described a build‑out that would partition the roughly 36,000‑square‑foot former department store into multiple units ranging from about 625 to 2,400 square feet, with interior corridors, shared meeting space and year‑round access.

Why it matters: the proposal aims to create permanent, interior retail and service space—shops, small restaurants or ghost‑kitchen/shared‑kitchen operations, co‑working and community market space—that advocates say could increase foot traffic for nearby businesses and convert a long‑vacant anchor into rentable, revenue‑producing units.

Thompson said Advanced Maintenance Services has handled recent site work, including installation of dumpster corrals and recovery work after a fire at one tenant. He described a continuing dialogue with the property owner and said his firm is seeking a management role: ‘‘Our goal with this facility as Advanced Maintenance Services is to also be the manager of the facility,’’ Thompson said. He added that there is no contract in place yet but the company has been in ongoing discussions with the owner.

Board members and meeting participants raised site‑layout and parking questions, including the state of the parking lot, accessibility of front versus back entrances and the potential need for greater exterior improvements before interior build‑outs could attract tenants. Thompson acknowledged exterior work is planned and said back‑lot reconfiguration and repaving are on the owner’s docket. He said some tenant spaces would retain direct exterior access while many smaller interior units could be served from shared hallways.

Participants suggested types of uses the space could support, including an indoor farmers or public market, a community kitchen/ghost‑kitchen incubator, co‑working and small service businesses, and satellite outposts of off‑island businesses. Board members discussed possible programming and marketing steps—pop‑up events, vendor fairs and outreach to local entrepreneurs—to create demand during the facility’s relaunch.

Several commenters cautioned about lease terms and past owner behavior. Thompson addressed long‑standing distrust: ‘‘There have been a lot of bridges burned in the past at the Grand Island Plaza with both businesses and the owner of the plaza,’’ he said, and described efforts to establish more dependable management, tenant communications and on‑site maintenance.

What’s next: Thompson said the owner has already started work on facade improvements and the sprinkler estimate is a turning point for allowable uses. The developer asked the advisory board for ideas and assistance connecting to potential tenants and local vendors; no formal town approvals or contracts were reported during the meeting.

Meeting context and caveats: board members repeatedly stressed that any tenant recruitment, rent structures or lease negotiations remain subject to the owner’s decisions and to formal leasing processes. Thompson acknowledged that the owner has not yet executed a formal management contract with Advanced Maintenance Services and that lease terms remain to be negotiated.

Ending: Board members thanked Thompson for the presentation and offered to help with outreach; the board did not take a formal vote or adopt policy during the presentation, but participants signaled interest in continued conversation and partnership.