New Richdale store to open near Lynn courthouse

LYNN – Local convenience mart owner Mahababul Haque said the new Richdale convenience store he is opening on the corner of Washington and Essex streets June 15 will be “good, clean” and affordable to neighbors.Haque, a Swampscott resident who owns a store at the corner of Union and Silsbee streets and Jenny’s Convenience on Henry Avenue, said he will beat supermarket prices for shopping essentials like milk.The Richdale is opening on the former location of Bill Woods Towing. Haque’s lawyer, Thomas Demakis, said the store’s hours will be 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. with off-street parking.”I think you will find it’s important for him to have a good relationship with neighbors. It will be an attractive, very well stocked store,” Demakis said.But neighbor Frank Johnson said he is loyal to Christopher’s, a small store located at 234 Essex St. across from the Richdale’s 585 Essex St. address and Family Market, another store located two blocks away. He said the stores’ owners know their customers.”If you’re a little short, they still know you,” Johnson said.Johnson also said he considers Richdale’s prices too high but neighbor Victor Espinosa disagreed.”It’s cheaper than a lot of places,” Espinosa said, adding small corner stores “go out of business all the time.”Neighbor William Adams said the Richdale will add healthy competition to a heavily populated downtown neighborhood.”It’s always good to have something quick around the corner,” Adams said.Demakis said Haque met several weeks ago with neighbors, including many Sloan Machinery Lofts residents. The former industrial building borders the Richdale site. Demakis said Haque agreed to comply with residents’ requests to keep a Dumpster more than 15 feet from the Loft building and not to install pay phones on the store site. He said Haque also plans to landscape his property.”Everything they suggested was reasonable,” Demakis said.City Community Development Director James Marsh hopes Haque fulfills his commitment to landscape the Richdale site along the line of improvements CVS made around its Commercial Street at South Common Street store. He said the city plans to install antique-style street lights along Essex Street and Washington Street near the store.Marsh said the Richdale store represents a better use of one of the city’s busiest corners than the corner’s former occupant.”It’s a better use than a towing lot. If there was a market for a Starbucks or high-end food shop, I’d be pushing for it. I don’t believe the market is there – yet,” Marsh said.Ward 5 City Councilor Brendan Crighton said the April 19 meeting with neighbors was intended to “introduce folks to this new business.””He (Haque) seems to be a responsible business owner,” Crighton said.He added that the council voted May 10 to approve a special permit allowing Haque to install a sign on his property larger than dimensions prescribed in city zoning bylaws.Haque said the site is an ideal location for a store with Sloan Lofts, District Court, City Hall and the Police Department located within a block of the store.”It’s highly trafficked and in the heart of town,” he said.