* History Will Be The Judge Of Acton’s Projects

Letter to the Editor of the Acton Exchange

#Acton #ActonDPW #ActonMA #ActonMA01720

By Erik J. Heels

First published 2026-06-20; ActonExchange.org; publisher: The Acton Exchange.

On 2024-03-15, a developer acquired the property where the former Papa Razzi restaurant was located (768 Elm St, Concord MA, across the street from the soon-to-be-developed former state prison). The developer, with a straight face, put out a press release calling the new development a “neighborhood center.”

It’s a strip mall.

When you welcome chain stores (like Starbucks and Chipotle) to your strip mall, most of the profits from those stores flow to out-of-state companies. Starbucks is based in Seattle WA, Chipotle in Newport Beach CA.

Plus it’s a strip mall.

So I am glad to see some back-and-forth between Actonians and the Acton Town Manager (as letters to the editor of The Acton Exchange) about the various projects going on in Acton. We should definitely debate projects, even when they are completed. Acton must learn from its successes and from its failures.

What Acton chooses to spend money on matters exactly as much as what Acton chooses not to spend money on (https://www.giantpeople.com/17831.html). That $20 million project we’re debating? It could have been 20 miles of sidewalks (had voters been given that choice).

So did you just build a “neighborhood center” in Acton? Or is that place now just another big nowhere (https://www.giantpeople.com/17759.html)? History will be the final judge. Oh yeah, and don’t believe your own press releases (https://www.giantpeople.com/15957.html).

-Erik Heels (heels@alum.mit.edu)
17 Forest Rd, Acton MA 01720

P.S. Erik is an associate (non-voting) member of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC). Opinions expressed herein are Erik’s individually, not the opinions of any Acton board or committee.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER & NOTICE: The “Sidewalks For Acton” campaign was started by and is funded by GiantPeople LLC, a single-person LLC founded in 1999 by Erik J. Heels (heels@alum.mit.edu). Erik is a small business owner, a USAF veteran, and has been an Actonian since 1995. Except for a one-year stint from 2024-2025, Erik has never belonged to any political party. Opinions expressed herein are Erik’s individually, not the opinions of any Acton board or committee.