Main St. businesses closing
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

One of the buildings with empty space in it is 33 Main St., which is currently for sale. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

There are many businesses leaving their Main Street homes this summer, or that have already left, creating a number of vacant rental spaces and buildings up for sale.

Norma Farnsworth has owned and operated the Village Coffee Shop for two years and is now looking to sell it. The business located at 57 Main Street is one of a variety of businesses located in the center of town.

Farnsworth has the shop listed at $38,000 and has a signed lease through April 2008 for the space.

The Village Coffee Shop has been in part of the downtown block of stores for about 30 years, Farnsworth said. She said there are a variety of reasons she wants to sell but one of the big ones is cost.

Two other commercial businesses that are up for sale are 31 and 33 Main St. Both are Greek-revival style buildings located across the street from the Town Hall.

"It's in the process of being rehabbed. It's near completion," Joanne Catlin, the real estate agent with Havard Realty that is listing 31 Main St.

The couple who own the building have relocated their business to Athol and their home to Shutesbury, she said. The building has been on the market for a while.

"It's hard because Ashburnham is a community that doesn't want a lot of business but you need businesses to support the town," said Catin.

As of July 1, Wellness Center in Ashburnham will be closing and relocating to Westminster.

"We've been looking for new space for over two years," said Dr. Linda Smith.

As a resident of Ashburnham, Smith said, she was looking to buy a place in town but the zoning requirements, especially for parking, made it difficult. So she decide to rent again but this time in Westminster.

"It was very hard to find a space that works for us," she said.

She said the new space, which is located in the professional offices at the corner of Narrows Road and State Road East, offers handicap accessibility, better parking and a larger space.

She said her 10-year-old business has grown significantly in the last few years, so she needs the larger space.

"I've seen a lot of businesses come and a lot of businesses go," Smith said.

Also moving out of Ashburnham's Main Street buildings at the end of June is Nails Plus, which is located on the second floor of 53 Main St., where two other office space remain unrented. The bead shop located just behind many of the Main Street buildings is also leaving at the end of June.