By Alberto Suris
A veterinary hospital, medical offices and a small retail store were proposed for a vacant site on Route 114 formerly occupy by Showcase Cinemas to a group of District F neighbors.
Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera made the announcement during an evening meeting held at Carleen’s Coffee Shop, located at 209 S Broadway, Lawrence. Rivera invited the audience composed mainly of Colonial Heights residents in District F because they are next to the former theatre.
Mayor Rivera explained that he took a big chance when a year ago he rejected a proposal to allowed a gas station, a retail store and a couple of restaurants to move in the site. “That was a bad proposal, this is a good one”, said Rivera while introducing Ames Prentiss.
Prentiss is the owner of Bulger Veterinary Hospital on Rte. 125, in North Andover which was built in 1950. He explained that business has grown to a point that sometimes, customers have a taught time finding a parking space when bringing their pets for a medical check-up.
According to Prentis, the project is in the preliminary stages, for which he has signed an agreement to buy the property from National Amusements, who built the movie theater in 1965 and closed it in 2008. The price tag of the property is $2.8 million and an additional $4.2 million to build.
