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WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Shuttered Friendly's make for prime banking locations, at least in Westborough, where both former restaurants have been bought by financial institutions.
A plan submitted by St. Mary's Credit Union, which will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, to demolish the abandoned Friendly's at 93 Turnpike Road and build a new branch was approved Tuesday night by the Board of Selectmen.
"We're excited to have part of the celebration be an opening in Westborough," bank representative Jim Petkwich said. "We think we have a beautiful building to put up there."
The Friendly's was closed earlier this year when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its counterpart at 303 Turnpike Road was recently purchased for 1.6 million by Berkshire Bank.
The board was supportive of the plan, because the Friendly's building has fallen into disrepair in a visible location.
"Friendly's has been an eyesore since they closed. This is going to be a great improvement," Selectman George Barette said.
St. Mary's Credit Union has three branches in Marlborough and since 2005 it has added branches in Hudson and Northborough. The bank plans to open the new branch next July, Petkwich said.
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