Changes Proposed For Harwich Center Shops

HARWICH – There could be new development and a shuffling of shops in Harwich Center if the planning board approves special permits sought for 711 and 715 Main St. in the center of the village. 

 Saumil Patel of 711 Main St LLC and 715 Harwich LLC has filed two applications with the planning board. One proposal calls for a 1,120-square-foot addition to the structure that houses Main Street Liquors, and the other seeks to split the commercial space from which Food Mart 711 now operates into two 1,500-square-foot commercial rental units.

 The village center will not be losing its convenience store. The plan is to combine the convenience store with the liquor store at 715 Main St.

 “With inflation people aren’t spending as much and it has become a little different when running a convenience store, so we thought if we combine them (with the liquor store) we could cut down on costs,” Patel said. “There still is a demand for groceries.”  

  Under the plan, the Lovely Nails business now behind Main Street Liquors would be relocated to one of the newly created units at 711 Main St. 

 “Lovely Nails wanted to expand and was looking for more space and parking, and that gave us the idea to move them over there,” Patel said. “The second unit will be a fast food take-out, which is still not rented by anyone. We are looking for a tenant at this point.”  

There will be no building footprint changes and no exterior changes to the building, nor will there be any changes to the parking at 711 Main St., according to Patel.

Main Street Liquors will be changing its name to Main Street Market with the addition of the convenience store and fast-foot take-out deli at the 715 Main St. location, said Patel. The expanded building will provide 6,400 square feet for the market. The building will be squared-off with a single story 1,120-square-foot addition.

Partition walls will be taken out to increase the single commercial unit and Main Street Market will be the only tenant on the ground level of the building, Patel said.

There will also be a reconfiguration of the parking lot to meet parking requirements, he added.

The historic district and historical commission unanimously approved the proposed addition, Patel said.   

The planning board hearings will be held on Tuesday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the town hall hearing room. The board will consider site plan review special permits and fast foot take-out special permits for both properties. 

“We want to keep thriving in Harwich Center,” Patel said of the changes.