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Greenfield, MA--Cleary Jewelers, a local business that has served Greenfield for 95 years, faces relocation challenges due to a development project.

[Image via Cleary Jewelers/Facebook]

According to a report on Mass Live, the jewelry store, owned for the past two decades by Kerry Semaski, has been a fixture on Greenfield's Main Street since the 1920s. The business is celebrated for its role in family traditions, providing gifts for birthdays, engagements, and anniversaries.

The report noted that due to a planned construction project at the former site of Wilson’s Department Store, Cleary Jewelers had been asked to vacate its current premises. The project, a partnership between MassDevelopment, The Community Builders, Franklin Community Co-op and the City of Greenfield, aims to transform the former department store into 65 units of mixed-income housing and a full-service grocery store.

As per the report, several potential relocation sites, including spaces in an old Greenfield Community College building, the Mohawk Mall and an old gas station, have proven unsuitable due to accessibility issues, high rental costs or renovation requirements. Yet, Semaski remains hopeful, having identified a promising property in Greenfield, pending negotiation with MassDevelopment.

“We are committed to staying in Greenfield,” said Semaski in the report. “We have a location but MassDevelopment needs to come with meaningful negotiations.”

Cleary Jewelers' historical significance is deeply intertwined with the Greenfield community. Three 14-karat gold rings embedded in the sidewalk outside the store, each belonging to a past owner, signify this long-standing history.

“People like the history of Cleary’s, they like the quaintness,” noted Semaski in the report. “They like the old-fashioned feel. If we move, my intention is to recreate that in a new home. There’s too much history to walk away from.”

Learn more in the entire report on Mass Live.