Chelmsford business owners at crossroads with anticipated Central Square redevelopment
CHELMSFORD — After 16 years at her shop on Central Square, Diana Seremet, owner of Beadles Bead and Crystal Shop, is moving out.
As she packed up her “thousands and thousands of pounds” of crystals, beads and other wares, Seremet said leaving the storefront behind will be challenging.
“It’s been very emotional and everything,” Seremet said. “Jack (Handley), the previous owner, was like a second dad to me.”
Seremet is one of several business owners on Chelmsford’s Central Square that have a decision to make: stay or leave. That’s because the strip’s new owner, Bobby Moulton of Black Rhinestone Real Estate LLC, has big plans to redevelop 15–22 Central Square, which may force the shops there to temporarily move.
The initial architectural concept from August includes the creation of 10 residential units on the second floor and two spaces each for retailers, restaurants and offices on the first floor. The Planning Board voted in favor of Village Center Overlay District applicability for the project last month.
“It’ll reintroduce a whole new concept of community to the town with new businesses, new walkways, new green spaces, all kinds of things,” Moulton said.
Beadles, located at 18 Central Square, will be out of Chelmsford Nov. 30. Seremet is taking her inventory over the border to Nashua, N.H., where she’s opening up shop across from the Pheasant Lane Mall. Her new address is 295 Daniel Webster Highway, Unit 5A.
When she heard the news that the buildings sold, Seremet feared a rent hike, especially after reviewing the project plans. She said her rent was going to increase 25% next month, from $2,000 to $2,500, and the project’s construction timeline wasn’t clear.
It was then, she said, that she decided to work on her own time and not have to worry about possible “excavators” or disruptions to her business.
“I’ll be honest, my anxiety level was getting too high having to decide, because they had all these different timelines… The thing is, is I’m sick of being not told timelines, because even if they don’t build it for 10 years, then I’m 10 years older,” Seremet said. “I’m 50 then, I can’t be moving stuff then.”
Handley, who runs Chelmsford Gift and Card Shop at 15 Central Square, will be downsizing by moving into the Beadles location, Moulton said, which is about half the size. The card shop space could potentially become a brewery, Moulton added, with its “high ceilings, strong foundation, open space, excellent waterway.”
Moulton said he does not intend to hurt the current business owners with rent increases and said the company “wouldn’t be raising rents on those tenants.”
“We want (our tenants) there for a long time, and we have no plans to displace or raise rents… Obviously rents raise, but we’re not looking to raise rents dramatically based on paying for this revitalization of this area,” Moulton said. “We want all of our tenants to stay happy and exactly where they are.”
Luciana Calvin runs the photography studio that bears her name at 21 Central Square. Though she falls within the potential redevelopment zone, Calvin said she isn’t too concerned. The current building is rather old, however, so Calvin said she expects a more modern-looking one will, in turn, cost more for tenants.
“Not sure how affordable it’s going to be,” Calvin said, “but I’m hoping to stay there after the renovation’s done, because I think it’s going to look really, really nice.”
The redesign might attract more foot traffic and potentially more business, Calvin added. She’s been at that location for about four years.
Since acquiring the building in February of this year, Moulton said he and his team have worked to create something that “fit into the New England charm of Chelmsford center.” As a “born and bred” Chelmsford resident, Moulton said he hopes to make the ambitious project a reality, despite some residents’ hesitations.
A projected completion date is not yet known, as the plans are currently stalled — the town’s sewer moratorium is posing challenges, Moulton said.
Chelmsford Community Development Director Evan Belansky said the next step is for the applicant to submit “fully detailed proposal plans” to the Planning Board, accounting for landscaping, parking, lighting, civil engineering, drainage and more.
“Concept-wise, what would be proposed is consistent with the master plan, on a conceptual level,” Belansky said of the project. “Introduce mixed use, highlight the brook, create a brick walk. From a zoning perspective, the overlays allow this kind of opportunity.”
Belansky said he could not comment specifically on “tenant relations” at 15–22 Central Square.
The new Beadles location has more than 160 parking spaces, Seremet said on a Facebook Live broadcast, and she’s excited to start anew up north.
“It’s a really nice space for us, and it’s really big,” Seremet said of the Nashua location. “And we’ll be able to have everything we need there and then some.”
Handley did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Originally published at https://www.lowellsun.com on November 19, 2022.
