New-Look Buckalew's Reopening This Month On Main Street

The long-awaited re-grand opening of sorts for Buckalew's will be this month. The store announced in a blog post it will have a "soft re-opening as soon as possible," before a weeklong kick-off celebration starting May 18 featuring tastings and events.

Buckalew's will open where the old Whittemore Hardware store was, across the street from its old location. Whittemore's closed this year after nearly a century in Melrose.

Buckalew's earned a reputation as one of the quirkiest, most loved businesses downtown. The general store was ripe with local products, such as food, gifts and craft beer. Michelle Penney will be joining owner Robin Peevey as the store's first wine manager.

Main Street has been without Buckalew's since it was squeezed out of 504 Main St. by what the owner said was drastically rising rents and unfavorable lease terms. The landlords, the city police chief and his wife, declined comment at the time, but said in a letter published by the Melrose Weekly News that rent was being raised to align with market rates and that Patch's article was "biased [and] one-sided," though she did not specify any alleged inaccuracies.

Jeff Carbone Insurance Agency has since opened in Buckalew's old spot. Carbone had been at the Coffee, Te & Me building, which got razed last summer.