Economy Hardware Files for Bankruptcy

Per the CentralSquare.com blog, the owners of Economy Hardware filed for bankruptcy protection in late April. The Central Square store, along with another store in Brookline, have been a fixture for more than a generation. From the CS post:

In a phone interview Tuesday, owner Larry Friedman said the
company “ran into some challenging years” that ultimately prompted the filing. He is the second-generation owner of the family business that has been in Greater Boston for over 61 years.

“We have no intention of winding down,” Friedman said. “I expect to have the stores as they exist now.”

Photo from Yelp.com

Rodney's Bookstore Closing

More Central Square retail news, via CentralSquare.com. From the post:

Ken Reeves announced Monday at the city council meeting that Rodney’s used bookstore is closing as the owner wants to retire. He said there was some good news that the space may become a nightclub. Rodney’s book store is located at 689 Massachusetts Ave in Central Square.

Photo of Rodneys from yelp.com

Improving Central Square through Neighbor Input

Spurred on by lots of recent and impending changes to Central Square--including store closings and news of restaurant openings--the City is tackling the oft-maligned Square's public image head on. The first step is to move through a process that encourages a broad public dialogue in the Square's problems, its strengths and its potential. That dialogue will next take the form of specific, topical conversations held over the next few weeks. Join any or all of the groups below (listed in order of meeting date):

Retail Mix & Vacancies
Discussing the need for more, affordable family apparel stores, better general merchandise stores, vacancies that fit needs, anchor tenants, potential math tutoring venue, a home-style, affordable diner, kid-friendly stores, especially bookstores, and business condos.
April 5th, 344 Broadway, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m, 4th Floor Conf. Room

Human Service Issues
This group will tackle some of the trickiest issues for the Square and ways to address homelessness, public intoxication and drug enforcement, discourage unruly hangout locations, and discourace panhandling, improve the physical ambiance, and to increase police facilities.
April 6th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 344 Broadway, 4th Floor Conf. Room

Public Relations & Marketing
This group focuses on perceptions of Central Square, including a potential marketing and branding campaign, better communications, creating more positive press and a clear identity for the Square.
April 12th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 344 Broadway, 3rd Floor Conf. Room

Event Programming
A group that will discuss expanding Central Square's capacity to host events, that support save, vibrant, lively nightlife venues, including ideas to extend stores onto sidewalks, produce more outdoor entertainment, and to take a look at long-term planning operational support.
April 13th, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm, 344 Broadway, 4th Floor Conf. Room

Street and Sidewalk Appearance and Cleanliness
This group will tackle another of Central Square's most stubborn problems related to its often dingy appearance. Some initial topics include more bike racks and moped parking, improved facades and window art, incorporating the backstreets of the Square into the retail environment, examining recycling and public toilet options, pedestrian safety, lighting, and benches, and improving snow removal.
April 15th, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., 344 Broadway, 4th Floor Conf. Room

For more info on the broader effort by the City, contact Estella Johnson, the Director of Economic Development, at estellaj@cambridgema.gov or at 617-349-4616.

Central Square Retail Tide Turning?

Every few weeks in the past year, you notice another one. Another Central Square retailer, here one week, gone the next, replaced by brown packing paper blocking the windows and a phone number to inquire about leasing. The AT&T store on the corner of Mass Ave and Magazine St. A printer supply store. The Gap. The Attic. A florist. Pearl Art.

This week, some good news comes to us via Gus Rancatore of Toscanini's via his blog:

• Flour Bakery, a South End favorite, is moving in next to Central Bottle (in itself a new success story).
• Life Alive, an organic cafe in Lowell, is moving into the Hollywood Express space across from the Post Office.
• "Revere's famous Cambodian restaurant" which Gus identifies as Floating Island (but I think he means Floating Rock) is moving into part of the old Gap space.

It's interesting (and wholly unsurprising) that many of the closed stores were national tenants with corporate decisionmakers far from Cambridge, and many of those filling the void are ventures with local or regional bases. Come out and support the new business--as well as some of our favorite, more established ones!

Image of Central Bottle, 196 Mass Ave, courtesy their website.

Central Square: Phoenix Rising, Pearl Shutting

Not really news to those who frequent Mass Ave shops, but CentralSquare.com notes two changes to longtime establishments:

First, Cambridge’s Pearl Art & Craft Supplies to close, and the place has been a zoo for a few weeks as art students clear the shelves with severe discounts. Pearl has been there 20 years, but is one of 10 "underperforming" stores owned by the Florida arts supply company. Artist & Craftsman and Utrect are still available for those in dire need of a new tube of yellow ochre.

Second, more positively, Phoenix Landing has finished their renovations and CS.com posted some photos (including the one above). This is part of an ongoing effort to spruce up the place, long known as a haven for English football (soccer) fans and, at night, dancing.

What's Needed in Central Square Retail?

An announcement from City Council member Henrietta Davis. What do you think Central Square needs?

The Veneto Comes to Mass Ave

There's an interesting pattern as you move along the north edge of C-port, from the Harvard Bridge to Central Square. There's constant activity in the first few blocks near Lobby 7 and the heart of MIT. After you cross the railroad tracks, there's a major dropoff in vitality, a gap of surface parking lots, and corporate bioresearch buildings before it ramps back up to the MIT Museum, Cambridge Bicycle Co., Miracle of Science, Middlesex and the beginning of the retail strip that runs nearly uninterrupted to Harvard Square. (Some people, none of whom are me, have started trying to identify the area as "LoMa", as in Lower Massachusetts Ave).

The innovation and variety along the Mass Ave corridor is an amazing asset to C-Port--and the thousands of students and visitors that move along it every day, and every address it moves southeastward toward the river bridges that gap. The next small step toward that comes in the form of Central Bottle wine + provisions, a don't-call-it-an-enoteca to be opened next month in the old New England Confectionary Co building (NECCO!) at 196 Mass Ave. Central Bottle will serves small bites and an offering of wines that will expand what's available in the neighborhood. The owners, four Cantabridgians, embrace their new establishment's revitalizing location and hope it provides a taste of the bella vita they found together in Venice. The foodies out there will recognize a few of the owners from Kendall Square's The Blue Room.

Central Bottle hopes to open October 15th.

(h/t Central Square Blog)