AMHERST — A shopping plaza anchored by a Big Y Supermarket, CVS Pharmacy and Dunkin’ has been acquired by a Waltham-based real estate development, investment and management company for nearly $18.5 million.

Amherst Shopping Center, located between 165 and 183 University Drive, was recently purchased by Crosspoint Associates Inc. from Amherst Shopping Center Associates/Quest Development of Lynnfield.

The 11-acre site, near the corner of Route 9 and Northampton Road, features a shopping center with the Big Y, as well as stand-alone CVS Pharmacy and Dunkin’ buildings and a Bank of America ATM. Joining Big Y in the main plaza building are a Goodwill store, Omi Omy Vietnamese restaurant, Supercuts and V.I.P Nails. Most of the plaza is in Amherst, though Big Y is also in Hadley.

On its website, which announces the purchase, Crosspoint Associates states its “objective is to be a leader in commercial office, retail, and mixed-use real estate throughout New England,” and that it will serve the needs of  investors, employees and tenants “by consistently creating and managing developments of lasting value to the communities in which we develop or acquire them.”

The new owner also describes the site’s proximity to the University of Massachusetts campus, observing “it is the closest grocery store and pharmacy to UMass Amherst’s 1,500-acre campus with over 31,000 students and faculty.”

Efforts to reach company representatives Friday were unsuccessful.

The plaza originally opened in the late 1970s, though it was entirely rebuilt in 1998 when Big Y, which had taken over for a Price Chopper in 1995, expanded to 55,000 square feet, which led to the departures of Flex Fitness Center and Andy’s Pizza.

At the same time, the CVS, which was in the original building next to the supermarket, relocated to its free-standing building. The Dunkin’ was built and opened in 2006, and a 13,500-square-foot addition that now houses the smaller tenants was built adjacent to Big Y in 2005 to house Hollywood Video, a video rental store.

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.