The Concord tire shop that burned in late April is back in business and will soon invite the public to “come see the new digs,” the company president said.
The local branch of Stratham Tire reopened in late May, after the company bought and outfitted the building next door to the burned out 84 Manchester St. location to get back to work as soon as possible, President Denise Littlefield said.
But the celebration of the reopening – with balloons, hot dogs, soda and chips – hasn’t happened yet. That’s scheduled for Aug. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m., a chance for customers to reintroduce themselves to the branch that had been in business for 40 years.
The fire struck in the early morning before the business opened April 15, quickly consuming the structure and sending a plume of black smoke into the sky that could be seen from miles around. Littlefield said negotiations began that day to buy the building next door, which housed an auto shop.
As for what happens to the old, adjacent property, Littlefield said “that seems to be the million dollar question of the week.” The company is looking to sell the property, but not until it works out a lot-line adjustment to benefit traffic at the new location.
Littlefield said the company will request a new curb cut, since the incoming 53- and 48-foot trucks are having trouble maneuvering the turn. She said they’re at the “beginning stages” of that plan.
In the meantime, though, potential buyers have been in contact for the 84 Manchester St. lot, she said. It’s “nothing concrete at this point,” but people are asking when it’ll go on the market and how much it’ll cost, she said.
The rubble and remains of the the building on that lot were also cleared recently. Firefighters said the blaze caused more than $4 million in damage and left the scene so devastated that they couldn’t determine what sparked it.
(Nick Reid can be reached at 369-3325, nreid@cmonitor.com or on Twitter at @NickBReid.)