Almost a year after it was sold, major changes are coming to Fort Eddy Plaza with at least three large retail stores closing.

Eastern Mountain Sports, the outdoor-gear retailer, announced to customers in huge window signs that it will be closing its current store. EMS, which is based in Connecticut, says it plans to stay in Concord although no new location has been announced.  

Also for lease is the 8,800-square-foot space occupied by The Paper Store.  But that store is expected to stay in the plaza because the property owners show it replacing the EMS store.

Finally, the Rite Aid pharmacy in the plaza was added this week to the list of stores that will be closed as part of the corporate bankruptcy restructuring, according to court filings. Rite Aid, which filed for bankruptcy in October, has said it may close as many of 500 stores as part of the restructuring, according to the company. As of last year, it had almost 2,000 stores around the country.

Anchor store BAM!, the books-and-toys store from Books-a-Million, is apparently leaving as Eastern Retail Properties, the company that manages the shopping plaza, has listed the 32,000-square-foot space for lease.

Books a Million general manager Beth Savage said there are no plans to close or relocate the store at this time.

Fort Eddy Plaza currently holds a Shaws supermarket and Staples office supply store, along with several smaller tenants like GameStop, Moritomo Japanese restaurant and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

The shopping center off Exit 14 of Interstate 93 was built in the late 1970s on what had been corn fields. It was owned by Eddy Plaza Associates LLC until it was sold to Boston-based Torrington Properties in January for $30 million.

“There is a lot of interest in the Fort Eddy Plaza because of its attractive location and the quality of existing tenants,” said Torrington Properties COO Matt Morgan. “We are working with  our current tenants and potential new ones to evaluate what 2024 holds for the plaza.”