LYNNFIELD — Dick Blaisdell has been clipping hair at his Broadway barber shop for more than 50 years, but will soon close his doors.
“I would have liked to have left on my own and retired,” he said. “I wasn’t intending to retire at this time but I will be forced to. There’s no place to start all over again.”
Blaisdell’s Western Barber Shop is one of several local stores slated to close after Herb Chambers made a $4.7 million deal to buy eight acres at corner of Broadway and Salem Street. Donovan’s Liquors and Baystate Jewelry Exchange will also shutter their locations as part of the sale.
In all, five parcels were purchased by Broadway Lynnfield Properties, LLC, an entity controlled by Herb Chambers, in August.
“I don’t intend to leave after a month,” Blaisdell said. “I’m going to stay here as long as I can, unless they back the trucks up and throw me out.”
Tom Holland, who owns Baystate Jewelry, said all tenants received a letter about a week-and-a-half ago indicating they would be evicted on Oct. 31.
“I don’t know what his plans are, but I need to go work for somebody else, find a job, or find a location to move my business to in this short period of time,” Holland said. “There’s licensing involved. I need a space with security measurements in place. That takes time. It does not give you a lot of option when trying to move something that’s successful to a new location that would be successful. I think that’s very difficult to do.”
The properties purchased in the sale include 807 Salem St. for $622,800, 446 Broadway for $975,500, 449 Broadway for $1.9 million, 421 R Broadway for $300,000, and 801 Salem St. for $938,100, said Attorney Ted Regnante, who represents the dealership.
Herb Chambers owns 55 car dealerships in the Greater Boston area, including Herb Chambers Cadillac of Lynnfield at 395 Broadway, which abuts the company’s newly acquired chunk of land.
Regnante said plans for redevelopment of the site have not yet been drafted, and could take three to four months. He said existing businesses will move out shortly and there’s “no question that the existing buildings will be razed and there will be a new structure.”
“We’re working with (existing business owners) now to give them a reasonable time to find other accommodations,” Regnante said. “There’s no rush. We will also be working with the neighbors in that area.”
Blaisdell said he hopes to finish out the year at his barber shop.
