Redeveloping Black Goose Marketplace in Seekonk, MA
Some projects start with a clean slate.
This wasn’t one of them.
In 2024, CM&B was brought in to help reimagine what is now Black Goose Marketplace, a highly visible, 10-acre site in Seekonk, Massachusetts that came with just about every challenge you could expect, and a few you wouldn’t.
An aging 85,000-square-foot hotel and restaurant sat at the center of it all, layered with hazardous materials. Surrounding it: a small engine repair garage, a two-story home, a high water table, and one of the busiest traffic corridors in Bristol County.
On paper, the assignment was straightforward: clear the site and deliver a new 46,500-square-foot retail center anchored by Whole Foods Market.
In reality, it required a deeply coordinated, highly strategic approach from day one.
Alignment That Carried the Project
After a full year of pre-construction, CM&B aligned early with The Darling Group, db2 Architecture, BSC Group, and Ross Hamlin to build a plan that accounted for every constraint the site could throw at us.
This wasn’t just alignment on paper—it was a working partnership built on transparency, shared priorities, and a willingness to solve challenges together before they ever reached the field.
That groundwork mattered. Because once construction began, success depended on how well that team stayed connected.
A Scope That Demanded Precision
The work itself was layered and interdependent:
- Environmental abatement of asbestos-containing materials and PCBs
- Full demolition of multiple existing structures
- Comprehensive site redevelopment, including stormwater recharge systems, detention basins, and wastewater modifications
- Installation of new MEFP infrastructure to support multiple buildings
- Delivery of a ~40,000-SF Whole Foods Market shell with an attached 7,000-SF retail building—on a fixed turnover date
- Simultaneous coordination with a separate general contractor constructing a 50,000-SF hotel on the same site
- Preparation of additional building pads and utilities for future development
Each piece was interdependent. Sequencing wasn’t just important—it was everything.
Managing What You Can’t See
The biggest challenges weren’t on paper.
Vermiculite hidden within masonry walls required tightly controlled, DEP-coordinated abatement. A persistently high water table, paired with a wet construction season, meant continuous dewatering to keep progress on track.
At the same time, the team navigated evolving tariffs, stringent Stretch Energy Code requirements, and constant coordination with utilities, local authorities, and MassDOT, all within a high-traffic, high-visibility location along I-195.
None of it was static. The difference was in how the team responded, working through issues in real time, making informed decisions together, and keeping the project moving forward.
Precision at the Finish Line
Despite the complexity, the outcome was exactly what was promised.
Every major milestone was achieved.
Every coordination point held.
And the Whole Foods shell Black Goose Marketplace was turned over exactly when it needed to be—keeping tenant fit-out on schedule without disruption.
Partnership In Action
Projects like this don’t come together by chance.
They come together through early alignment, consistent communication, and teams that know how to work through challenges—together. The result is more than a transformed site—it’s a project delivered exactly as intended, despite everything working against it.
