A good independent bookstore is a community treasure. Owner since 2016 of The Bookloft in Great Barrington, Pamela Pescosolido shares an intimate view of a bookstore in transition in the midst of a pandemic.
Interestingly, the need for more space was not factor in the move. The new space will actually be comparable in size to the Barrington Plaza store, which occupies two storefronts.
The reality is that several businesses on that strip have closed in recent months, leading to the question of what replaces those businesses that have left and whether the current zoning is too restrictive to allow for a full range of replacements, including residential or mixed-use combinations.
2018 has provided enough Great Barrington news to keep journalists busy and observers of town politics highly amused, signaling that the community dubbed "best small town in America" by Smithsonian Magazine continues to be a place in transition.
According to the selectmen, the committee's charge will be to "oversee several town-sponsored events and programs honoring Du Bois," including: the Du Bois Day Celebration; the annual Du Bois Festival (from Martin Luther King Day through Feb. 23); banner installations; collaboration with UMass Amherst and local educational institutions and arts, historical and community organizations; and more.
Now that the planning board has made a positive declaration, the selectboard, which is the special permit-granting authority, is expected to formally grant the new permit for Tractor Supply at its meeting Monday, Sept. 24.
Great Barrington Real Estate LLC is a newly formed company belonging to Paragon Realty Group of Westport, Connecticut. Barrington Plaza is its only property in Massachusetts.
The Planning Board unanimously approved Plaza owner KIMCO Realty’s plans to divide the current Kmart building into as many as three stores. In any case, Marshall's is scheduled to open in the fall of 2017.
The Great Barrington Kmart is one of more than 64 stores nationwide on the chopping block for a fast liquidation. “The Internet is doing to the malls what malls did to Main Street America.”
--- Great Barrington Assessor Christopher Lamarre
The Great Barrington store is one of more than 64 stores nationwide on the chopping block for a fast liquidation, amid what Business Insider said is a cash crisis for both Kmart and Sears.
It is bursting with titles and special editions and things you never even knew about. The cookbook section is a knockout. And the children and young adult section is enchanting.
