Guilford town officials and representatives of property developer DDR Corp. earlier this week gathered to commemorate the opening of Guilford Commons, a new 127,000-square-foot shopping center located on Route 1 just off Interstate 95.

About 100 community members, including State Senator Ted Kennedy Jr., attended the event, which featured remarks from First Selectman Joe Mazza and Guilford Economic Development Coordinator Brian McGlone, and concluded with a ceremonial ribbon cutting.

“We are pleased to deliver this high-quality shopping center to the community, with a complementary array of merchants that will provide enhanced retail amenities for years to come,” remarked Jim Grafmeyer, DDR’s vice president of development who oversaw the project.

To mark the occasion, Beachwood, Ohio-based DDR made a $5,000 donation to the Guilford Food Bank.

The initial retail lineup at Guilford Commons consists of: Fresh Market, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michaels, DSW, Ulta and Charming Charlie. More retailers or restaurants are expected to be announced as DDR reaches agreements with new tenants.

The shopping center is expected to create more than 100 jobs for Guilford and surrounding communities, in additional to new tax revenues for the Town of Guilford.