Closing finalized on properties for Guilford Family Dollar

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    GUILFORD — A Tampa, Fla. real estate company has finally closed on three adjacent parcels of land in Guilford for a new Family Dollar store, according to Town Manager Tom Goulette. “Everything was finalized on Dec. 17,” Goulette said. “So the town’s involvement is basically finished. Now all they have to do is demolish the buildings and start construction, probably in the spring.”

    The three properties are the former Ben Franklin Store, which was also used as a training center for True Textiles for a while; a former dry cleaning outlet; and the old Methodist Church parsonage, which was later converted into apartments and a coin-operated laundry.
    Hunt Real Estate obtained the building permit in March and outlined plans for the 8,320 square-foot building and a lot with 37 parking spaces. At that time, town officials were hopeful that construction could start this year. However, since the agency had to negotiate with three different parties to purchase the properties, Goulette noted that it made things “a little more complicated, but it’s finished now. We’ll have a nice new million dollar building that will generate tax revenue and create some new jobs.”
    Family Dollar was founded by entrepreneur Leon Levine who opened the first store in Charlotte, N.C. in 1959. The retail chain now has approximately 8,000 stores in 46 states including local branches in Dover-Foxcroft, Milo and Dexter. The latest Maine store opened in Hartland two months ago.