Deal in works for Bickford's site

By Angela Carbone

04/27/2009- The Republican

WEST SPRINGFIELD - In place of buttermilk pancakes and home fries, the former Bickford's may eventually boast 911 wings and raw oysters on the menu.

The property at 1290 Riverdale St. is definitely up for sale. A notice announcing the sale has been in the front window of the former Bickford's Family Restaurant for some time. The restaurant closed more than two years ago, and the property was listed for sale in 2006 on a real estate Web site.

But now it appears a sale could materialize before the end of the year, said Paul A. Longtin, director of LeClerc Realty Corp., owner of the property.

Longtin said on Thursday that he has spoken with several parties that have been interested in the property. The site includes 1.85 acres of land zoned Business A and the building, which contains 5,160 square feet.

The biggest hindrance to selling the property to another restaurant has been the difficulty in obtaining a liquor license. State law limits the number of year-round liquor licenses in a city or town by the population.

The liquor license obstacle may have disappeared, now that the all-alcoholic beverages license that had been held by Boston Billiard Club is now in the hands of Sovereign Bank.

Sovereign held the pledge on the license and foreclosed on the license and the business earlier this year.

Longtin said his company has a tentative agreement with the bank. He attended the recent License Commission meeting at which a lawyer for the bank said a sale of the license is imminent.

Longtin said the only thing left is for the attorneys for both sides to agree to the wording of the purchase and sale agreement, he said. Because the license is held by the bank, the sale is somewhat more complicated than it would have been if it was still held by the original business, Longtin said.

Word around town for the past few months has been that Hooters was opening in this city. Longtin would not confirm that it will be Hooters that is coming to the site, but said that it is a possibility.

Hooters, the national restaurant chain known for the tight tank tops and shorts worn by waitresses, operated a restaurant on Congress Street in Springfield for about four years, closing in 2006.