Village Commons looks to replace deli, market after closure of Tailgate Picnic
SOUTH HADLEY — The property manager at Village Commons in South Hadley said Monday staff are interviewing several businesses with plans for a deli-market concept after the closure of Tailgate Picnic last month.
Tailgate Picnic closed at the end of 2025 after 37 years in business, citing commercial pressures.
"The closing of a longstanding business is never easy, and we extend our sincere appreciation and best wishes to the owner and her family," wrote Jeffrey Labrecque, president and CEO of the Center Redevelopment Corp., in a statement.
The Tailgate Picnic space is the only retail vacancy in the building.
Center Redevelopment Corp. operates Village Commons for the benefit of Mount Holyoke College, which owns the plaza that features retail, office and residential space.
Jeff Labrecque, chief operating officer of the Center Redevelopment Corp./Village Commons, outside his office in South Hadley. (Dave Roback / Special to The Republican, File)
Village Commons has operated at 95% to 100% occupancy over the past 20 plus years, with 97% being a solid average, Labrecque wrote in the statement. With the departure of Tailgate, that puts the occupancy at 93% or 94%, he said.
"From what I hear from local brokers and other commercial markets, our Village Commons has one of the highest long-term business retention records and occupancy rates in Western Mass.," he said. "We are thankful to the community and our patrons for their never-ending support of small business. We feel confident in 2026 and look forward to quickly hitting the 95 to 97 percent mark by summer 2026. That's not to say it won't be a challenging year in the local or national commercial market."
Labrecque said his team is about to sign a deal on the former Main Moon Chinese Restaurant, but he cannot announce the business' name yet.
Residential units are always 100% occupied at the site, he said.
"The office market is where most commercial property owners struggle, a direct result of the pandemic moving the office workforce more to remote or hybrid," he wrote.
But office occupancy at Village Commons continues to beat the regional average.
The complex opened in 1987. Built after a devastating fire, its 11 buildings are arranged to resemble a historic downtown.
Stories by Jim Kinney
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