This shopping center design was a very common sight in the 70’s. A department store with a Grocery store and a strip of smaller stores in between. Forest Hills was possibly the original store. King’s was the discount store anchor until 1983 when it was replaced by Ames. Market Basket and Ames were the duo of anchors until Ames’ closure in October 2002. There is a gas station in the parking lot of the plaza along Route 1. There are at least four empty stores at the Plaza. One of them once was a fabric store, another was a Bank. 

The owners of the plaza are the DeMoulas family, owners of the Market Basket chain. In 2008, they brought preliminary proposals before the Planning Board: a plan to expand their store.  In 2009, we've learned that the plaza will be renovated or demolished and built new. The NH Liquor store also wanted to expand during that process. 

Early in 2011, the expansion plans were cancelled because of excessive permitting costs. What could happen is Market Basket moving into the 52,000 sq.ft Ames. This location would be larger than the current 42,000 sq.ft supermarket.

In 2016, NH Liquor store has left the plaza to open a brand new larger store down the road at the Southgate Plaza.