Still on Main opens for community feedback period

Bianca Dias, 17, Liberty Hull, 14, both of Boston, and Xairen Fortune, 16, of Randolph, Mass., from left, perform a dance at Still on Main. The girls dance with Stajez Dance Studio, which will be opening a studio in the mall. (Breeze photos by Bill Murphy)

PAWTUCKET – Leslie Moore realized her dream of opening a mall this month with her new Still on Main welcoming customers at 250 Main St.

Still on Main, in the former Grant building, opened for a month-long community input period June 15, allowing various new tenants the chance to hear from customers about exactly what they’d like to see there.

“Community patrons will have the opportunity to give feedback before the businesses and new entrepreneurs lock in final menus and offerings,” said Moore. “We want to encourage a culture of feedback, participation, and responsiveness to the community.”

The mall, located in the former Grant space in this one-way section of Main Street, opened with various festivities and a crowd of new patrons, giving it the most life it’s seen in several years.

Representatives from the Flying Shuttles Studio, a holdover tenant at the front of the building, said they were excited to see Moore’s vision come to life and happy to see the return of tenants designed to attract shoppers and leisure seekers.

Moore told The Breeze she was excited to get up and running leading up to a planned July grand opening. Among the tenants here are clothing stores, restaurants and salons. A three-story play area is available for small children.

Also planned, said Moore, is a Brooklyn-style deli, to be located across from Flying Shuttles in the second Main Street front window space.

Still on Main is split into two floors, The Courtyard on the entrance floor and The Underground below.

Current and future tenants in The Courtyard include: EP Kitchen café, Salon G, the Playroom indoor playground, Hair Jazz, The Stoop dessert bar, The Backyard lounge, the Heavenly spa, Copa men’s clothing, Flying Shuttles, Holy Ink tattoo shop, and The Upper Room private lounge.

Tenants on The Underground floor include: Unseen Sneakers and Clothing Boutique, Off-Punishment Gaming Lounge, the Fixin’ To Hardware & Help Depot, Good Finds Boutique, SalonGg, and Stajez Dance Studio, Stellar Consulting, and Green Film Studios.

Moore, a developer who’s purchased multiple buildings in the downtown, said she’s sticking to her plan of requiring a diverse group of tenants that promote Still on Main’s theme of “Eat. Shop. Vibe.” It requires discipline not to accept just every new recording studio that comes calling, she said, as she could fill the place quickly with tenants like that.

Ultimately, Moore is looking to create a mall in a historic building that contributes to the economic revitalization of the downtown area and life of the community.

Those attending last Saturday’s opening were asked to fill out a community feedback form asking them how easy it was to find Still on Main (located next to the city parking garage), what they found to be most exciting in the building, how they found the customer service to be, and what they would tell their friends about the space.

Still on Main is the latest incarnation of the W.T. Grant department store, first established in 1934. It features stamped tin ceilings, steel columns, wrought iron staircases and wood floors and skylights.

The interior courtyard of Still on Main.

Gricel Francisco, of North Providence, cuts the hair of Sara Mitchell, of Boston, her first customer in her new shop, Salon G at Still on Main in Pawtucket. The new indoor mall, a re-creation of The Grant at 250 Main St., is open for a one-month community feedback period before an official grand opening in July.

Moriah Garcia Nelson, of Pawtucket, enjoys lunch at The Backyard, a new café open at Still on Main.