A graphic of the plaza on I-95 north in Lexington on Monday, July 14, 2025, next to a rendering of the “metro” design that Applegreen, an Irish convenience store company, and Upland Architects, a Norton-based architecture firm, created for some of the service plazas they’ll be renovating and re-building. Lexington’s service plaza will be designed in the “metro” design. / Graphic: Maggie Scales

The service plaza on Route 95 north in Lexington could soon get a significant makeover as part of a $750 million state-wide project to improve service plazas.

Massachusetts’ department of transportation, or MassDOT, commissioned Applegreen, a prominent Irish convenience store company, to rebuild, renovate, and operate the state’s 18 service plazas. 

Lexington’s new plaza could boast contemporary architecture, increased parking, more electric vehicle chargers, and expanded quick-service restaurant chain options.

“We are excited to be a new resource to the residents of Lexington and other communities across the Commonwealth,” Bob Etchingham, chief executive and co-founder of Applegreen, told the Observer. “We [have] an unparalleled opportunity to make life better and more convenient for local residents, to support the state’s economic development and travel and tourism goals, and to show off the very best of our state.” 

The Irish convenience store company is working with Suffolk Construction and Upland Architects, a Norton-based architecture firm, to create the new plazas. Each location would fit into one of three designs — western, metro, or coastal — that reflect the plazas’ respective environments. Lexington’s plaza, like those in nearby towns such as Natick and Newton, would fit the metro style. 

That design includes tall windows, anodized metal siding, and flat roofs. It would also offer outside seating and pocket parks to emulate the urban landscape in nearby Boston and booming technology industry outside the city. 

A rendering of what the outside the service plaza Natick, MA, could look like. Like the service plaza in Lexington, MA, it will fit the “metro” design. / Source: Applegreen
A rendering of inside the service plazas that will fit the “metro” design. / Source: Applegreen
A rendering of the bathroom. / Source: Applegreen

The renovated plaza would have new restrooms and expanded food options, which could include Starbucks, Dunkin’, Pret A Manger, Panda Express, and Auntie Anne’s, among other chains. 

Applegreen is still finalizing which brands will be at the Lexington location, Diana Pisciotta, president of Denterlein, the public relations agency Applegreen works with, told the Observer. The convenience store company will reach out to the employees who currently work at the service plaza in Lexington to discuss re-hiring where appropriate, “in due course,” she said. 

More retail at the plaza could mean more visitors to Lexington and more jobs for residents, nonetheless. 

“We’re excited to collaborate with MassDOT on a design that not only supports tourism and celebrates Lexington’s rich history but also invites more visitors to experience all that our historic town and vibrant business districts have to offer,” Sandhya Iyer, Lexington’s economic development director, told the Observer.

The state-wide project would also open up about 750 construction jobs in Massachusetts over the next three years and about 1,500 permanent positions for residents once they’re open.

The new plaza in Lexington would also boast more electric vehicle fast chargers and parking, which could subsequently help improve traffic flow. 

A rendering of outside the service plazas that will fit the “metro” design. / Source: Applegreen

Applegreen would operate all aspects of the new service plaza throughout its 35-year lease, which starts in January 2026.

The state’s department of transportation reviewed several applications when deciding which company to tap to renovate the plazas. It chose Applegreen, which is the largest operator of service plazas in the US, Ireland, and UK, because it “has the best experience, will start faster and finish faster, and…had the only plan to transform all 18 plazas to better serve customers for the next 35 years,” Monica Tibbits-Nutt, the secretary and CEO of MassDOT, told the Observer.

Applegreen would share an average of $28.4 million in annual revenue with the state, or nearly $1 billion over the course of the lease, Boston.com reported.

At this point in the project’s timeline, MassDOT and Applegreen have entered into a Transition Agreement, which is a contract outlining the terms under which MassDOT will continue to provide services to Applegreen after a deal closes. It is unclear when the new service plaza in Lexington will be open for business, but Pisciotta said Applegreen will share a long-term construction schedule in the next several weeks.

Join the Conversation

1 Comment

  1. I love that in the last rendering by Applegreen, there is a car jammed under the back of the bus on northbound 128.

Leave a comment
All commenters must be registered and logged in with a verified email address. To register for an account visit the registration page for our site. If you already have an account, you can login here or by clicking "My Account" on the upper right hand corner of any page on the site, right above the search icon.

Commenters must use their real first and last name and a real email address.
We do not allow profanity, racism, or misinformation.
We expect civility and good-faith engagement.

We cannot always fact check every comment, verify every name, or debate the finer points of what constitutes civility. We reserve the right to remove any comment we deem inappropriate, and we ask for your patience and understanding if something slips through that may violate our terms.

We are open to a wide range of opinions and perspectives. Criticism and debate are fundamental to community – but so is respect and honesty. Thank you.