An Asian market nearing completion in Newton Centre has received its second stop-work order since the start of the year, according to City permit records and notices posted at the site.
Newton Asian Mart, located at 22-28 Langley Road, received a stop-work order on April 24 signed by Inspectional Services Commissioner Anthony Ciccariello. The handwritten notation “NO CO” on the posted notice indicates the store lacks a Certificate of Occupancy — the final approval required before a commercial building begins operating for its intended purposes.
When contacted about the stop-work order, Miao Kun Fan, the business owner, told Fig City News on April 26 that the store still needed to receive its final inspection prior to opening. City records indicate multiple items remain outstanding, including fire protection testing and third-party reviews.
As observed by Fig City News, the store appears nearly complete, with stocked shelves, filled seafood tanks, checkout lanes in place, and several large pallets of bagged rice visible through the front window. The store’s climate control system appears to be operating, maintaining conditions for the food inventory visible inside. Stocking activity, which had been ongoing in recent days, has ceased since the order was posted.
The food establishment permit was issued on March 26, 2026, but the project now faces the requirement of obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy, which requires completion of all fire safety inspections and building code approvals.
The permit records show several fire-related permits at the site carry warnings that third-party reviews are required before final approvals can be granted. City records show a fire protection system acceptance test was requested on April 13, sign permits were filed, and construction documents were uploaded as recently as March. Without a Certificate of Occupancy, the business cannot legally welcome customers. It is unclear if and how these pending reviews contributed to the stop-work order.
This is the second time construction at the site has been halted. A previous stop-work order was issued January 6, 2026 — six days after the expiration of the project’s Food Establishment Plan Review permit on December 31, 2025. That permit, required by City regulations for any retail food service operation, had a renewal deadline of November 30, 2025.
When contacted after the first stop-work order, a Newton Inspectional Services representative indicated that the City has a policy of not commenting on stop-work orders. All permit records are publicly accessible through the City’s OpenGov portal.
The property at 22-28 Langley Road, listed as owned by Yu Sheng Hsiung & Chang O TRS Wei Ta Trust, was previously occupied by Walgreens.
