A building in Hanover constructed more than 150 years ago was demolished Wednesday as the developer of nearby Merchants Row moves to expand the existing shopping center.

The town’s building department this week green-lit a demolition permit for 2103 Washington St., which once held the Assinippi General Store and the Eating Establishment. 

The original part of the building on the eastern corner of Washington and Webster streets was built in the 1860s, according to a previous owner quoted in The Patriot Ledger. The structure was renovated after a fire in 1973.

In February, the town’s planning board signed off on a site plan and special permit for F. P. Giglio Properties to build a new one-story, 7,500-square-foot building in place of the existing two-and-a-half story, 6,000-square-foot structure. This corner lot is surrounded by Merchants Row and has been designed to be incorporated into the shopping center.

Merchants Row includes Alba on 53. Alba owner Leo Keka is also opening another restaurant next door to Alba.

The new building will have space for three tenants, likely retail or service-oriented, and will have a drive-through for a bank, developer Frank Giglio said.

Giglio purchased the property in June 2022 for $1.3 million. The former owner, 7-Eleven, restricted what Giglio could build on the property as to not compete with the convenience store chain. That includes no general stores or sale of things like beer, wine or cigarettes.

The developer previously told town officials that he purchased the property in part because he was wary of establishments like marijuana dispensaries being located near his development.

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“We wanted to control the site,” Giglio told the Ledger. “We feel Merchants Row is a very attractive, modern building.”

He hopes the project will be completed by this fall.

Before development plans were approved, the town’s historical commission last summer discussed the historical significance of the Assinippi General Store building. The Greek Revival structure was used as a home before it became a general store.

This commission can delay for up to one year the demolition of any building over 75 years old that it deems “preferably preserved” and historically significant. This means it could be listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places; has importance with historic people or events; or has valued architecture.

The Assinippi General Store building is cataloged on the state’s list of historic resources but it did not have any official historic designations. Over the years, the town’s historical commission had identified the property as significant to the town’s history and considered ways to preserve it. 

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In June, before Giglio’s proposal went before the town’s planning and zoning boards, the commission voted to hold a demolition delay public hearing. Ultimately, Giglio said, the commission did not find the building to be “preferably preserved.”

7-Eleven suddenly closed the general store in November 2020, and the conjoined Eating Establishment shut down a few months later. The convenience store chain sold its liquor license to the Market Basket in Hanover Crossing.

Hannah Morse covers growth and development for The Patriot Ledger. Contact her at [email protected].

News Source : https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/2024/04/25/merchants-row-expansion-assinippi-general-store-in-hanover-ma-demolished/73441345007/