Popular Main Street Building Raze-And-Rebuild Starting

MELROSE, MA — There is a sign on Coffee, Tea And Me that has been there for awhile. It tells customers the coffee shop favorite will reopen in Winter 2017. In Spring 2018, that's looking doubtful ... even more so as what is expected to be a yearlong raze-and-rebuild process kicks off.

The building that Coffee, Tea And Me was undoubtedly the star of - but also was home to several other local businesses - is being torn down after new owners found "significant structural problems" when they went to renovate it, the City said. So the home of Jeff Carbone Insurance Agency, Roman Music Therapy, Demiche Salon, North Shore Martial Arts Studio, Coffee, Tea And Me, and longtime resident Mike's Barber Shop is being razed.

The process has already started, as you may have noticed the boards and construction materials up in front of 419-429 Main Street. The building will be torn down, then rebuilt - a process the Planning Board approved in November.

"It has been carefully designed to reflect the character of our historic downtown, with a strong presence on Main Street and space for three businesses on the ground floor and 10 apartments above, all of which will add to the vitality of our downtown," the City said online.

The process is expected to take a year. And since your friendly neighborhood Patch reporter lives just a minute away, we'll be sure to update you regularly on the process. Subscribe here to be kept up to date on this and other Melrose happenings.

Photos by Mike Carraggi, Patch