Friday, September 14, 2007

The Edge Sports Center Set to Open October 15th

The Edge Sports Center located at 191 Hartwell Road is set to partially open on October 15th. The center includes a regulation size hockey rink, an indoor turf athletic field, an athlete training/fitness center as well as a Pro Shop and a concession stand. While the hockey rink will open first, the rest of the facility is expected to be open by mid to late November. Once fully operational, the facility will employ between 10-12 people and be open from 7am-11pm daily.According to Scott Fusco, the owner of the facility, this is the first new ice rink in the Northwest suburbs area in over 30 years. This is not the first ice rink in Bedford however. Some of you may remember the old Belle Isle rink on Loomis Street which shut down in the 70's. The new ice rink has room for 300 spectators. While a lot of the rink time is already reserved for Hockey, there will be public skating on Sunday afternoons and during lunchtime on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Next to the rink is the lobby, which will feature large screen TV's as well as wireless Internet. The facility also features a Health Club/Athlete Training Center for players with personal trainers and physical therapists available. The Health Club can also be used by parents so they can get in a workout while their kids practice or play games.

The concession stand will feature prepared foods such as Sandwiches, Pizza and Drinks. The Pro Shop will mostly feature basic hockey items like gloves, bags and laces.

I asked Scott why it was called the Edge. He mentioned that was the result of a naming contest and it has multiple meanings such as being on the Edge of Hanscom AFB, The Edge of the Skate Blade and Athletics who are always striving for 'The Edge'. Scott who has been in the consulting business for 18 years, has been working on the new sports center for just over a year.

One open question is will the facility be accessible via sidewalk from the Minuteman Bike Extension/Reformatory Branch. While Scott mentioned their would be a bike rack at the facility, he was unsure if there would be any sidewalks.
A site overview of the new Sports Center

Construction on the turf field is nearing completion and should be open by Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Citgo Gas Comes to Bedford

The old Texaco station is now a Citgo

The old Texaco station at 105 Great Road has started selling Gas again, this time branded as a Citgo. A few years back, the station switched from Texaco to a no-name brand but still sold gas. Then it stopped selling gas completely earlier this year. The current owners have run the station for about 10 years. During this time, they have always done auto repairs and service. According to employees, they are under new management. They switched to Citgo about 2 months ago and have started selling gas again. I spoke to the owner Rich, who mentioned his focus is to offer the lowest gas prices and excellent service. He has been very pleased with the switch to Citgo. He also hopes to add a Massachusetts Inspection Station (currently the only place to get your car inspected in Bedford is at Riggio Sunoco) in the near future.

With the addition of Citgo, we are now back up to four gas stations in Town. A few years back (before Gammy's and Mobil closed) - there were six. I recently noticed a for lease sign up at the old Mobil station. Does anyone have any suggestions for what business they would like to see in this space?