Everyday cars drive by the empty old Tim Hortons Building at 148 South Broad Street. Students on their way to or from the high school pass the building and residents on their way to work or those out doing errands drive by the spot. And even though the building is small when Patch asked residents what type of business they would like to see fill the spot, there were plenty of ideas.
How about a fast food place other than McDonald's? KFC, Burger King, Wendy's, Bethany Guthrie Martell wrote. “I personally am not a fan but I know my son would be happy.”
“Something local, not another franchise please,” Monica Mandeville wrote. "How about a locally owned used bookstore/coffee shop/bakery? It could be a nice safe place for high school students to hang out, possibly share some slam poetry and open mic nights, but also cater local professionals who need good quality java in the mornings on their way to work. Not a Tim Hortons or a Starbucks, but a real coffee shop!"
“I always wished Subway would move in there so that the high school kids didn't have to risk walking across the street and it would have more seating,” Rhandi Lee wrote. “Something stand alone and sustainable like a dry cleaners would be great also.”
But while residents have a ton of ideas for the spot what the location doesn't have is willing tenants. A spokesperson for GBD Realty LLC, which owns the location said they are accepting rental applications. So far nothing has come up.
“Hopefully something will happen soon,” First Selectmen Ed Haberek said.
Haberek said he hadn’t heard of any current plans and that most use the building has gotten recently was when Citizens Bank used the building briefly as storage for their holiday baskets.
