EB will start work soon to convert the 780,000-square-foot mall into a new hub for engineering, training and software development.
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Officials from Electric Boat have held a listening session with current tenants at the Crystal Mall in Waterford to address concerns after the submarine builder bought the property.
EB, which is owned by General Dynamics, will start work soon to convert the 780,000-square-foot mall into a new hub for engineering, training and software development.
The mall is about three-quarters empty, with around 25 remaining stores. Some employees of current stores attended a press conference that EB held on the property in October to announce the sale. The employees had questions about whether transition assistance will be available for the existing stores and their workers.
“Each one is case-by-case, the leases all have varying terms,” said EB President Mark Rayha at the time. “There’s a management company that’s helping us with that part of it.”
EB now says the listening session has helped them to open a dialogue with the mall tenants about their business needs in the coming months, and their ability to make a smooth transition.
Stores are concerned to highlight to the public that the mall remains open for business through the holidays. EB has said the mall will remain open and managed into 2026, and the company will facilitate Santa’s visit to the mall starting on or around Nov. 29.
“We intend to support these business owners in their current needs, so we can transition this space efficiently to deliver the submarines our nation needs,” said Beth Rafferty, vice president of facilities and real estate at Electric Boat. “We look forward to effectively managing this process to facilitate a win for Electric Boat, these businesses and the town of Waterford.”
EB says eventually it aims to have between 3,000 and 5,000 employees working out of the renovated site, likely sometime in 2027.
