Saturday, March 19, 2011

1 Railroad Avenue Set to Be Demolished

The ramshackle Red Building at 1 Railroad Avenue across from the Bikeway Source is set to be torn down. According to the Bedford Assessors Office, the building was constructed around 1942. Ken Larson the current owner of the property, stated that the building was set to be torn down in December but got delayed by all the snow. The current plans are to remove the building and then clean up the lot.

 The inside of the building has been falling apart and looks ready to collapse.
This property is located in the new overlay district zoning that was created for the Bedford Depot Park area and thus could be used for retail purposes such as a store or restaurant. Ken mentioned he has been approached by a few developers but has not yet had any serious offers.


The rear of the building has already been torn down. Two cranes are on the property ready to remove the rest of the building.


Comment:
The removal of the building will improve the aesthetics of the Bedford Depot Park area. A restaurant would be a valuable addition to the Depot Park area. It would both draw foot traffic from and provide foot traffic to the other retailers in the area such as the Bikeway Source and JRM Antiques. 

What do you think? Please take a look at the poll on the upper right and be sure to vote what type of retail establishment you would most like to see.
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2 comments:

Bruce W. said...

We want something here that can act as a "reward" magnet to bikers who make it to the end of the Bikeway. Like an ice cream stand. I would love for Bedford Farms Ice Cream to relocate here, that would give them a location safe for kids to bike to, and also alleviate traffic on North Rd.

Adam Schwartz said...

Hi Bruce,

I think that's a good idea. It would be a less visible area and harder for people from outside of Bedford to drive to so I am not sure if they would change locations. However a satellite location that is only open on the weekends during the warmer weather and maybe afternoons during the summer could be a solution. The other idea would be to make Bedford Farms Ice Cream available at the Bedford Freight House.