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Allston corner left dry by Marty's departure could get new packy

The owners of a liquor stores in Brookline and Waltham want to open a package store at the site of the former Marty's at Harvard and Commonwealth avenues.

The proposed Allston's Wine and Spirits would take up half the space once occupied by Marty's (the other half will be a Kelly's Roast Beef). The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to grant a license.

The store's attorney, Bernard Shadrawy Jr., explained the public need for a license at a board hearing this morning in part by saying the store would be completely different from the Blanchard's down the street.

"They will not sell kegs" and will emphasize liquors and wine, rather than large volumes of beer sales, he said. "Not to degradate [Blanchard's] in any way, but they run a totally different operation." And he noted that the corner had had a liquor store for more than 50 years.

"I'm not sure people in Allston are dying of thirst," board Chairman Daniel Pokaski retorted.

Paul Berkeley, president of the Allston Civic Association endorsed the proposal, in part because it was not yet another plan for a late-night restaurant.

Berkeley's support surprised Pokaski, because he normally only appears to oppose things. "If you're in favor, you can't be Paul Berkeley," he joked. "You've got to be someone else, who are you?"

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Comments

I wonder.

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Arrgh. Will attempt to find out.

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I can't remember the name of the Waltham store, but the Brookline store is GPS, right in Coolidge Corner.

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Because there is another 'coolidge corner wine and spirits' across the way. I thought the GPS place already had a few licenses.

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Looking at the story we ran in The Bulletin in Jan., the name of the Waltham location is Glendale Liquors.

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Do we have any idea when Kelly's will be opening?

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No, we don't know, though I assume they're shooting for early summer. There's active construction work going on in the interior, but they're still at the stage of framing out the kitchen-to-be.

I'd be grateful for a new liquor store with an emphasis on wines and hard liquor, since I haven't patronized Blanchard's since the puppy-stomping and I'm always disappointed when I browse Brookline Liquor Mart (not to mention that it's rather out of the way for me.)

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Here's the portion on Kelly's. The rest was about the package store.

-Scott

Kelly's Roast Beef and new liquor store coming to former Marty's location

Scott Wachtler

The former long-time home of Marty's Liquors is about to get some new tenants including a high profile New England culinary delicacy known as the Kelly's Roast Beef sandwich.

Brian McCarthy, CEO of Kelly's Roast Beef said the Massachusetts institution that's been in business since 1951 is in the final stages of the licensing process and should begin demolition and construction on 5,000 square feet of space this week.

The location on the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth avenues will be the company's sixth in the state

"It's almost a $2 million investment to rehab the location," McCarthy said. "We're looking to open by the end of April the beginning of May, but we're not going to rush it. We're going to make sure to do everything right. It's been great working with the neighborhood. People in Allston really care about what goes on. Our customers tend to be very vocal about getting Kelly's in the neighborhood and that allows us to build support."

McCarthy said the company has been working with the city for well over a year to make the move. He said he scoped out the location last year and realized that with the both a bus stop and train stop in the area, the location would be great for them.

"We did a lot of homework to see if it would be a good location for us. I think there are 8,900 people who live within a quarter of a mile of that store," he said. "That's a lot of people. We think we're going to be busy - especially with the students there."

Recently, Kelly's Roast Beef was mentioned on the sitcom 30 Rock, and McCarthy said that Tommy Lee Jones, who has been filming the movie The Company Men, in Massachusetts will be on screen wearing a Kelly's Roast Beef T-shirt.

Hollywood and TV aren't the only fans. Back in October, McCarty received a positive vote from the Allston Civic Association and assured residents in attendance that they would do their best to keep the area around the store free from trash.

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Great info!

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Paul Berkeley, president of the Allston Civic Association endorsed the proposal, in part because it was not yet another plan for a late-night restaurant.

Why are we listening to a douchebag who basically said cabbies are smelly, loud, murderers?

He's endorsing the proposal because someone's giving him something to do so. No "civic association" is ever interested in another "package" store, even if it does "emphasize" shmancy alcohol. The college students and drunks will still find the cheap beer even if you put it towards the back. And guess what? Alcohol is alcohol.

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Why the anger at the world? Disagree with Berkeley (and his counterparts in the Back Bay) all you want, but really, "douchebag"? Allegations of bribery?

And this might be a little hard, but try to picture a world in which somebody can have more than one thought in their head. Berkeley didn't accuse cabbies of being murderers. He said he was opposed to late hours at that kebob place because a) it's in an area with a record of violence and b) because cabbies, who would eat at the place, park on residential streets all night. One doesn't have anything to do with the other.

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n/t

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My point is that neighborhood civic groups NEVER support "package stores." They hate them, with a passion, and the fact that he supports one is reason enough to suspect that he has some sort of ulterior motive.

PS: [[Over the past ten years, "there's probably one murder a year, and it always happens in the same location," he said, adding the group wants fewer cabs in the area, not more. ]]

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Brett, Your comments are generally really petty and mean.
it's fine to disagree, but maybe you could be less...um...verbose in your disagreement.
Lots of us may agree with you, but I think it's fair to say that your tone and language are disrespectful and don't lend you or your arguments credibility or dignity.
I know I would appreciate not having to cringe when I see that you have commented on a post.
Maybe you might want to try commenting on a post that you like?
you come across as a terribly negative person.
I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just thought you should know you put a damper on my otherwise awesome UHub experience

thanks and have a great weekend!

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I STILL haven't heard anything from my requests to the Governor on comment for Pokaski's completely improper remarks on Muslim halal preparations.

We're talking about a packy where a packy used to be. How can there be a licensing problem with that?? Only Pokaski thinks he can leverage his position to do community planning by obstructing the move...so that what? The location will stay unrented longer??

It's time for Pokaski to go.

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The Licensing Board voted yesterday to grant them a license - on the condition they not sell kegs, which the owners had said they wouldn't.

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I can only imagine that those commenters defending Paul Berkeley have never seen him and his loony friends in action at the Allston Civic Association.

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Bravo, Brett

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