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IPSWICH — Mike McGrath, owner of Zenobia and Ipswich Photo, says at least 80% of the customers who come in to her store are surprised she’s still open.
“People read a headline with the word ‘evicted’ and thought we’d closed already,” she said. “We weren’t evicted. We’re still here, we’re still paying our rent.”
The headline McGrath referenced appeared on the front page of the March 25 print edition of the Ipswich Local News: “Businesses prepare for eviction from Bruni site.”
The confusion has gotten to the point where McGrath says she’s afraid to even put up her Closed sign during regular business hours. She worries a customer will arrive, see it, and assume that’s a wrap on her 15 years at the location.
“People are already in mourning,” she said.
AvalonBay
McGrath is one of several business owners at Bruni’s Marketplace on Essex Road facing an uncertain future as AvalonBay, a multibillion-dollar real estate investment firm, plans a large-scale redevelopment of the property.
The proposal calls for 214 housing units on the 13.3-acre site, with 25% of the units designated as affordable.
For now, however, the project remains tied up in court.
The group Ipswich Citizens for Sustainable Growth has appealed the development, arguing that it is too large for the site and would strain the town’s water supply, infrastructure, and services.
What’s next
Beth Israel Lahey Health relocated its primary care offices from Bruni’s Marketplace to Topsfield in March. Corliss Brothers also moved its offices to Mitchell Road in Ipswich earlier this year.
Kim Eckmann, owner of Dip ‘N Clip next door to Zenobia, says she’s always thinking about what’s next. She’s been grooming dogs in the same location for the past 15 years.
Eckmann said John Bruni, owner of the marketplace, has assured her that she’ll receive 90 days’ notice when it’s time to vacate the property.
“I don’t know what to do yet. I wish I could have more control of the situation,” Eckmann said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and get to hang out here another year or so.”
Juan Fournier, manager of Upholstery by Fournier across the lot, is also hoping for more time as he searches for his next location.
“If I didn’t have this situation, everything would be okay,” he said. “I would love to stay here another thousand years.”
In the meantime, the business owners want customers to know that their doors are still wide open.
