BJ's May Move Corporate HQ To Marlborough

MARLBOROUGH, MA — BJ's might be coming to Marlborough — but you won't be able to shop there.

The warehouse club is considering a plan to move its corporate headquarters from Westborough to an office complex along Campus Drive in Marlborough. The company is seeking a tax break from Marlborough for the move, which the City Council will review on Monday night.

BJ's would lease 190,000 square-feet between two buildings at 100 and 350 Campus Drive to accommodate about 1,000 employees, the company wrote in a February memo to Mayor Arthur Vigeant. The company may spend up to $18 million to refurbish offices and build a data center, plus another $7 million to build a 300-space parking garage. BJ's would also commit to a 20-year lease in Marlborough.

In exchange, Marlborough would grant BJ's a 20-year tax increment financing (TIF) deal. That allows BJ's to pay a reduced tax rate on improvements made to the new headquarters beginning in 2023. By the final year of the TIF, BJ's would only be getting a 5 percent tax discount on improvements made to the property. The agreement would require BJ's keep a minimum of 800 employees in Marlborough through the end of the TIF.

With a TIF agreement in place, BJ's could begin work on the project by September, according to the application.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the structure of the TIF package. It also incorrectly stated the length and start date of the TIF.