Italian Market Plans Opening In Tewksbury

TEWKSBURY, MA — An Italian market has been proposed for a Main Street retail space. However, the project has had a long road toward securing all the necessary approvals.

Brelundi, LLC is rehabilitating properties at 836 and 846 Main St. to sell Italian ready-made food products, according to documents filed with the town.

The food will be prepared at the site in a second-floor kitchen and sold at the market on the first floor. The establishment will include 20 seats, 2,400 square feet of retail space, and eight employees on shift.

The proposal includes expanding the parking lot to a total of 28 spaces.

Michael Columba, a project representative, spoke at a recent Planning Board meeting. He said that securing all the necessary approvals has been challenging and discouraging.

"Two years to build a small restaurant like this and hundreds of thousands of dollars," he said. "I don't know what to do anymore."

He said it took six months for the health board to approve equipment.

"I've built all over the country," Columba said. "I've never come across so many challenges as in a little project like this."

Planning Board officials said their hands are tied until they receive updated engineering plans.

Columba said the inside of the establishment is 90% done.

A site review for the project will be on the agenda for the board's next meeting Nov. 13.