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Owner of fire-damaged building at 17 Main St. promises to rebuild

by | Sep 22, 2020 | Business, News, Z-Lead Image Front Page

Tom Carey, who owns the building at 17 Main St. that was damaged by fire Sunday morning, promised Tuesday, “One way or another we’re going to rebuild it.”

Carey, who was on a golf course in Maine when he found out about the three-alarm blaze, met with insurance adjusters as well as town inspectors on the scene Monday.

The building houses an apartment on the second and third floors and two businesses on the bottom level: Hopkinton Chiropractic and Body Restoration. A third business, Hopkinton Skin Care, was using space in Hopkinton Chiropractic’s offices. Two other businesses — Uptown Salon and Outside Interactive — are listed on the sign in front of 17 Main, but they actually are located in a separate abutting building at 6 Church St. that Carey also owns.

Hopkinton Chiropractic and Body Restoration did not suffer any fire damage, but falling debris, smoke and water caused some problems — especially to the part of Hopkinton Chiropractic that is located under the apartment. A portion of Hopkinton Chiropractic and all of Body Restoration are in a part of the building that juts out from the back of the main building and suffered only minor damage.

“They are great tenants and they love working out of that location,” Carey said. “They’re honest, hard-working professionals. We’re going to do everything we can to get them back in business.”

Longtime residents know the building as “Dr. Joe’s house,” so named because Dr. Joseph Annunziata was, according to his obituary, the only practicing physician in town for 35 years until his death in 1977, and he lived and worked in the building.

Carey, who also owns the historic building at the corner of Main Street and Hayden Rowe — the former Price Mansion House that appears on the town seal — said he hopes to retain the historical character of the damaged building while making it more modern inside.

While the apartment is uninhabitable — two residents were displaced — the businesses might be able to reopen relatively soon, Carey said, noting that he needs to get a plumber and an electrician to do some work first. He said he is very appreciative of the treatment he has received from the Police Department, the Fire Department, his insurance agency (Phipps) and the town in general.

“I’ve found the town, the Building Department, to be very cooperative, and they understand the urgency of the situation,” he said. “In short, they were great.”

Carey also was thankful that no one was hurt in the fire.

“That’s the main thing,” he said. “While the whole thing is a terrible shame, the building we can rebuild. The good news is there are no injuries.”

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