Leaders Celebrate Private $700,000 Acre Neighborhood Investment

Ribbon cutting ceremony outside American Grocery, 426 Main St. (WHAV News photograph.)

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Meenu and Sohan Saini listen as City Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan praises their investment in the Acre neighborhood. (WHAV News photograph.)

City leaders joined with the owners of a Main Street convenience store Friday afternoon to celebrate a major investment in the Acre neighborhood.

Meenu and Sohan Saini spent $700,000 to virtually gut and restore the building housing American Grocery, 426 Main St. The full-line grocery store is one of few in the densely-populated neighborhood.

City Councilor Thomas J. Sullivan, a real estate lawyer, pointed out the Saini’s own Giovanni’s Roast Beef and multiple residential properties in the Acre neighborhood

“They have been a great landlord, and they are an asset to the neighborhood and the Acre Neighborhood Association.” Sullivan explained the family takes care of their properties and rents only to the kind of tenants that grow a neighborhood. He said the property redevelopment took years of planning.

“It’s a great example of what people do to make neighborhoods better,” said Mayor James J. Fiorentini, adding, “It’s also a great example of how our city is richer because of people who have come from around the world that make our city the great city that it is.” The Sainis immigrated to the United States from India.

Thomas L. Mortimer, president of Haverhill Bank, praised the family for its efforts.

“We would love to have more customers like you two—hard working, successful—and we’re just happy to be part of it.”

Following speeches inside the renovated store, members of the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce including President Beverly J. Donovan and John J. Guerin, membership services director and a former Haverhill mayor, led a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

2 thoughts on “Leaders Celebrate Private $700,000 Acre Neighborhood Investment

  1. “Sullivan explained the family takes care of their properties and rents only to the kind of tenants that grow a neighborhood.” I wonder how anyone would know this beforehand ? Are we not supposed to pre-judge people councilor ? I thought that was discrimination ?