Two fast-casual chains are coming to Springfield Crossing, the sprawling plaza built on the site of the old Eastfield Mall. CAVA and Jersey Mike's Subs are both planned for the shopping center.
The additions were first reported by The Connecticut Scoop, which noted that CAVA and Jersey Mike's are coming to Springfield Crossing.
The additions are the latest sign of life for a 46-acre Boston Road property that sat as a decaying enclosed mall for years before its transformation.
From Dead Mall to Open-Air Plaza
Eastfield Mall opened in 1968 as an enclosed shopping mall, but it officially closed on July 15, 2023, and was nearly fully demolished between that August and February 2024, according to 1420 WBSM. Only a separately owned Sears building remained standing once the main concourse came down. Developer Onyx Partners Ltd. acquired the 46-acre parcel in 2023 and poured roughly $80 million into building Springfield Crossing, a 360,000-square-foot open-air commercial plaza, as reported by The Reminder.
Hoodline previously covered how Hannoush Jewelers left the mall for its own standalone storefront ahead of the demolition, part of a wider exodus of tenants from the enclosed mall in its final months.
Public Money and a Fourfold Tax Boost
Getting the site ready for new tenants required public help. In June 2025, the Springfield City Council approved an $8 million District Improvement Financing subsidy, backed by a MassDevelopment special obligation revenue bond, to cover site preparation, environmental remediation, and public infrastructure work, per the same Reminder report.
Springfield Crossing's first wave of openings arrived in December 2025, bringing in national anchors including BJ's Wholesale Club, PetSmart, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle, while Target was slated to open in the first quarter of 2026 and Hobby Lobby was still expected to arrive soon, according to WAMC. Onyx founder Anton Melchionda estimated that 600 to 700 Springfield residents would be working there once stores were open.
Plans for Housing at Springfield Crossing
WAMC has reported that plans for Springfield Crossing include at least 40 housing units.
Fast Company lists a CAVA location in Chelmsford among Massachusetts locations opened in the first quarter of 2025, as part of the chain's national strategy aiming for 1,000 locations by 2032. Jersey Mike's has a location in Longmeadow, according to Live 95.9.
Both restaurants are set to join Springfield Crossing, adding to its retail lineup along Boston Road.
