Ollie's Bargain Outlet Taking Over Pittsfield Big Lots

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
05:15PM / Wednesday, March 05, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The lease for the Big Lots on Dalton Avenue has been purchased by Ollie's Bargain Outlet.

Ollie's, based in Harrisburg, Pa., acquired 40 leases for Big Lots stores and Burlington Stores Inc. another dozen.

Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last September. It operated nearly 1,400 stores nationwide but began closing more than 300 by August with plans for another 250 by January.

It announced back in December it would be closing the Pittsfield store after a purchase agreement with a competitor fall through.

The closeout retailer moved into the former Price Rite Marketplace on Dalton Avenue in 2021 from Allendale Shopping Center.

Gordon Brothers bought out Big Lots in early January with Variety Wholesalers of Henderson, N.C., acquiring some 200 of the stores to operate them under the Big Lots banner.

Ollie's will now operate 63 former Big Lots, including the one in Pittsfield and another in Rutland, Vt. It operates about 568 stores in 31 states.

Burlington, formerly Burlington Coat Factory, has already planned to open a location in the former Staples in Berkshire Crossing.

In a statement, Ollie's CEO and President Eric van der Valk said the new locations line up well with Ollie's growth strategy.

"Similar to what we have done with previous store acquisitions over the past year, we will adjust our existing new store openings and prioritize the opening of the acquired stores in a manner that makes the most operational and financial sense," he said. "This acquisition, along with the investments we have made to position the company for sustainable long-term growth provides us with the opportunity to accelerate new store openings in 2025 above our 10 percent annual growth target and open approximately 75 units."

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Pittsfield ConCom OKs Stairs at Pontoosuc Lake

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
04:59AM / Friday, August 07, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Shoreline access stairs are coming to the south side of Pontoosuc Lake.

Last week, the Conservation Commission approved an amendment to the Order of Conditions for work at Pontoosuc Lake Park. There will be two stair sets on the south shoreline, and additional bank stabilization.

In 2025, the park's south side saw new stairs from the parking lot, a boardwalk, and other improvements. Later phases of the project will enhance the north side of the park for swimming, and remedy a concrete barrier wall that is partially underwater.

"Generally, what we're looking to do at Pontoosuc Lake Park is install some stair sets in two locations to help folks access from up above the bank, over the bank, and into the water," Parks, Open Space, and Natural Resources Manager James McGrath explained during the July 23 meeting.

"We're sensitive to some of the issues that are currently existing on the bank, and we're also sensitive to some of the needs for lake recreation out there."

Stairs for water access will be placed on the shoreline at the beginning of the boardwalk, where it is highly eroded, and the second staircase will be at the extreme western end of the project area, which has around 100 feet of highly eroded bank.

Additional brush layering will also stabilize the bank.

An area near the boat ramp where live stakes were vandalized will see them replanted after the ConCom found some of the bank erosion was worse than believed on a site visit last year.

The city originally proposed not replanting the area where live stakes were removed.

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