The Great Island Shopping Plaza on Route 28 in West Yarmouth has long been the village’s de facto mascot, appearing on many postcards and souvenirs. The oldest structure is the c. 1875 Greek Revival two-story building attributed to William H. Peak and an adjacent outbuilding thought to be the home’s carriage house (noted by its small cupula.) As Route 28 became the commercial center of the village, the buildings were converted into businesses and long housed a shoe repair shop and hardware store. The current plaza consists of a series of antique and modern buildings that have been connected over time with expansions around 1930 and again in 1958.
In recent years, the shopping center has fallen to disrepair and often sat mostly vacant. After multiple revitalization efforts an LLC was formed in 2019 with the goal of renovating and expanding the plaza into a community hub. According to Cape Cod Commercial Real Estate, the plaza will be developed in multiple phases over the coming years with a goal to grow as large as 25,000 square feet. Phase one was scheduled to be completed in 2021 but is currently delayed.
Historic Cape Cod reached out to the builder Tatra Construction and Cape Cod Commercial Real Estate (CCCRE) CCCRE responded and let us know that the current design proposal is still seeking financial backing and that the current owner hopes to preserve and restore the plaza. Without financial support, the Great Island Plaza remains endangered and could fall further into disrepair and be demolished by a future developer. Please contact Robert Ciavarra at Cape Cod Commercial Real Estate if you or your organization are interested in helping save this West Yarmouth landmark.
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