Salem Speaks: Busting Myths and Misinformation

Full Question: I am curious about the proposed changes to the Tuscan Village plans. It seems the original plans have gone away, and instead they are proposing yet more condos and retail and restaurants. What happened to the office and life science buildings that would have brought jobs besides retail and hospitality? Also, do we have the capacity with town services to add the additional housing? It seems they have added significantly more housing than planned already.

Answer: Tuscan Village has been permitted under §490-710 Large-scale redevelopment projects, which requires the applicant to prepare a conceptual development plan (master plan) for the entire parcel showing the existing site conditions and proposed development, including the general types, locations, and intensities of proposed land uses and proposed traffic and pedestrian flows, and to generally indicate how the proposed development of the site will impact municipal services and facilities, and abutting properties.

Tuscan Village’s most recent conceptual development plan (Master Plan 3.0) proposes to convert 1.2 million square feet of life sciences in the West Village, previously approved on 2/23/21, to 133 condominiums, 50 workforce housing units, a 150-key hotel, 125,000 square feet of medical office, and 78,750 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

Several iterations of Tuscan Village’s conceptual master plan have been approved by the Planning Board as the project has evolved and uses have changed over time. Those plans can be viewed at the following link: https://salemnh.gov/597/Tuscan-Village-Plans-and-Studies

Tuscan Village Master Plan 3.0 is still under review by the Planning Board, and as the public plays a crucial role by providing information and helping the Planning Board evaluate plans, you are encouraged to call the Planning Office at 603-890-2080 if you have any concerns or comments, view the plans at Town Hall, submit written comments, attend the meeting(s), or watch the meeting(s) on local cable channel 22 or salemnh.tv.

BJ's has submitted a site plan application for relocating to the building plaza where the Christmas Tree shops used to be. The Planning Board heard this application on May 27, 2025 and voted to continue the application, which means they will need to come back to the Planning Board at a future date. Materials submitted to the Planning Board for that meeting can be found here: 

https://salemnh.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05272025-1510?html=true

Pages 5-10 of the Site Plan document show the proposed layout of where the BJ's will be and what existing or potential spaces will be located as a part of the site redevelopment.

There have been no submissions to the Planning Board for the current BJ's site location (70 Cluff Road).

TJ Maxx has an active building permit for a unit at 265 S. Broadway (former Bed Bath and Beyond) and will be relocating there. The applicant (BJ's) has indicated that Planet Fitness will likely be relocating to a portion of the former Christmas Tree Shops unit – the plan shows a portion of the unit as being “Available Space #1 (Fitness Center).”