GREENFIELD — After 97 years in business on the ground floor of the former Wilson’s Department Store on Main Street, Cleary Jewelers has agreed to relocate as part of a settlement reached with MassDevelopment, the Franklin Community Co-op and The Community Builders on Thursday evening.
“MassDevelopment, The Community Builders, Franklin Community Co-op and Cleary Jewelers have reached a mutually agreeable resolution to support the relocation of Cleary Jewelers and enable the redevelopment of the former Wilson’s Department Store to move forward,” MassDevelopment spokesperson Kelsey Schiller wrote in a statement Friday. “Cleary Jewelers’ lease will end in early January 2026, at which point the company plans to relocate to another property in downtown Greenfield.”
The settlement came amid a years-long conflict between the jewelry store and its landlord. MassDevelopment, which filed a complaint in court to evict Cleary Jewelers in August, acquired the former Wilson’s Department Store in 2022 with plans to expand and relocate Green Fields Market into the building’s first floor, turning the upper floors into 65 mixed-income rental apartments.
As store owner Kerry Semaski’s lease expires in 2029, she pushed back against numerous notices to vacate and initially planned to fight the eviction. In an interview Friday, Semaski said that while she could not yet disclose details of the settlement, nor the store’s new location, the agreement was “fair for all parties involved.”
“It’s sad to leave this location — it’s been our home for almost just shy of 100 years,” she said. “It’s sad, but we’re looking forward to a new chapter and a really successful future in our new location, bringing as much of Cleary as we can. We want the new place to have the feel of Cleary.”
Semaski said the store’s last day in business at its Main Street location will be Dec. 24 and she plans to open her new location in February.
Pointing to the imprint of three gold rings — representing the store’s first three owners — that used to be pressed into the sidewalk in front of the store, Semaski said she intends to bring that chunk of sidewalk with her to display in front of the new location, while also adding a fourth ring imprint to represent her ownership of the business.
Previous attempts to negotiate with MassDevelopment, The Community Builders and the Franklin Community Co-op that manages Green Fields Market had been unsuccessful.
On July 24, the property management company TCB Putnam LLC sent Semaski a written letter requiring her and her business to permanently vacate the building by Aug. 23. The letter offered financial support for the move.
Despite having been offered assistance, Semaski said previously that because Cleary is a jewelry business, its insurance company requires extensive and expensive security measures for relocation, the cost of which would not have been covered based on what developers were offering for relocation assistance.
On Friday, Semaski said she would not comment as to whether the settlement provided her enough money to relocate.
“I want to thank the community for their overwhelming support and kindness over the years,” Semaski said. “Cleary has a special place in many people’s hearts — not just in mine, but many in our community and I’m overwhelmed with their kindness.”