Former Saperstein’s building goes back on the market

MILLERTON — In the year since James Hendrick and Graham Stone purchased the former Saperstein’s building on Main Street, there have been a number of renovations: from the rich shade of blue that was painted over the 16-year-old iconic mural to the glass windows installed along the side of the building to the new wooden flooring to the updated electrical system. Now that the building has been polished and prepared for incoming businesses, it’s been placed back on the real estate market for $850,000.

Last year when the pair bought the building, it was listed at $659,122, for the 9,888 square foot space located on 0.16 acres. The closing price was $550,000, with a closing date of June 1, 2018.

The original building at 41 Main Street first opened its doors as Saperstein’s back in 1972 before a fire burned the wooden building to the ground in April of 1986. Selecting a building he admired in North Canaan, Conn., as his model, Irving Saperstein, the original store owner, hired a contractor to build a new and improved structure, combining traits from the former building with characteristics modeled from the North Canaan site.

By the end of 1986, the new Saperstein’s building was open for business, this time with a lower level added to the building. By 1999, Lew Saperstein purchased the long-standing business from his father and continued operations until July of 2017. Following several months on the real estate market and a community celebration held in honor of the Saperstein family’s 70 years of business, Hendrick and Stone purchased the building in the spring of 2018 with the intention of adapting the building to host both retail and office space.

According to the listing from Elyse Harney Real Estate, the building is zoned for general business and has been renovated into prime retail storefront space with  new windows, flooring, electrical system, high exposed ceilings and a fully finished basement. 

Since Hendrick and Stone took over the building, there have been three vendors in the coop space, including Mimi Ramos from Camp, Savannah Hussey from Borrowed Nostalgia and Catherine Galvin from Millerton Main. 

Among some of those surprised by news of the building being re-listed, Lew Saperstein acknowledged he was, but added that he is also impressed with the amount of work that has gone into renovating the space.

“They thought it was really cool that it changed, which was really gracious of them,” Galvin said as she recalled the Saperstein family’s visit to the building a while ago.

The building officially went on the market on Wednesday, July 17. Despite numerous attempts at communication, Hendrick offered no comment as to why he wants to sell. Due to a conflict of interest, Ramos couldn’t comment on the circumstances that led to the building’s placement on the real estate market since she is the listing agent for Elyse Harney Real Estate.

At this point, the building’s current vendors will continue their business through Columbus Day weekend, though the length of their stay is subject to change.

“It was fun while it lasted,” Galvin said. “It’s a privilege to be here, it’s a lot of fun and a lot of people have asked questions about the building.”