ANDOVER — The Market Basket that has been in the Shawsheen Plaza on North Main Street for 44 years will permanently close tomorrow and be replaced by a Stop & Shop in the fall.
The Quincy-based Stop & Shop supermarket chain plans to open the new store in early October.
The Market Basket, which opened in the plaza in 1966, will remain open until 6 p.m. tomorrow, said David McLean, operations manager for the Market Basket chain.
"We've been running the product down in preparation of closing," he said.
McLean said the lease for the store is up on June 30 and the company was not given the opportunity to remain at the location.
"It has been a pleasure to serve our Andover customers, but unfortunately we weren't given the opportunity to continue our lease," McLean said. "We invite all of our Andover customers to shop at our surrounding stores."
There are about 100 employees at the North Main Street store, but the company has been able to find spots for all of them in other nearby stores. McLean said the company did not have to lay off any employees based on the projections of increased sales at stores nearby, especially in North Andover.
"We've already seen an increase in customers at that store," he said. "No one had to be let go."
Shawsheen Plaza was sold to The Guys of Andover LLC of Salem, Mass., for $12.7 million in 2008, according to the Registry of Deeds Northern Essex District. Stop & Shop has held the master lease since the sale.
Renovations are scheduled to begin by July 15, said Stop & Shop spokesman Bob LaRochelle. The location will not be expanded because of town zoning laws.
"We're anxious to get in there, spruce it up inside and outside, get some new signage and do this as quickly as we can," LaRochelle said. "It usually takes six months, but we want to expedite this project and get it on the fast track."
Staff writer Judy Wakefield contributed to this report.
