Changes at Rantoul and Elliott
May 5th, 2008 by Paul Leighton
Big changes could be in a store at one of the city’s busiest locations, the corner of Rantoul and Elliott streets.
Sageleaf, a flower and gift shop that had been at 83 Elliott St., has moved to the White Hen plaza down the street. Sageleaf owner Kathleen Holland said this afternoon that she’s been told the block of buildings at Rantoul and Elliott will be torn down to make way for a CVS.
We put that question to Richard Meguerditchian, who owns the buildings, which also include the CVS plaza and the vacant building on the corner that once housed Curious Creatures.
“The only thing I can tell you, to be frank with you, is the building (where Sageleaf was located) will be coming down within eight or nine months, or maybe earlier,” he said this afternoon. “I have a confidentiality agreement with the people involved so I cannot give any more information.”
Asked if the entire CVS plaza, which includes Brothers Restaurant, could be coming down, Meguerditchian said, “I don’t know.”
The building on the corner is one of the city’s most infamous — it was the site of the Elliott Chambers rooming house fire in 1984 that killed 15 people. The most prominent space in that building has been empty since Curious Creatures moved to Salem three years ago.
Sew Creative, at 87 Elliott, is moving up the street to the former Waters & Brown building.
