Workers using heavy construction equipment removed a canopy from the site of a city-acquired property that formerly housed a BP gas station at 157 W. Main St. in Hillsboro on Friday morning.
According to interim Hillsboro Safety Service Director Dick Donley, the property is, “in the hands of the (Hillsboro) Area Economic Development Corporation, and they’re trying to … sell the property, and they thought it would be a lot more appealing to somebody if that canopy was not there.”
Donley said that the long-vacant commercial property has in the past, “been a gas station and used car lot and everything,” but that, “the tanks are gone,” and laughingly added, “I don’t think we want a gas station anymore uptown like that.”
Donley said that the removal of the canopy facilitates the marketability of the property to prospective buyers as a multiple-use commercial property.
“We thought it would be more attractive to someone who was wanting to purchase it without that there,” Donley said.
During this week’s Hillsboro City Council meeting, Donley said the owners of three structures at 115, 117 and 119 W. Main St. that were previously deemed uninhabitable by the city have agreed to let Evans Construction take them down.
“Probably next week, he’s going to move in with his heavy-duty stuff and start getting things going and cleaning up the eyesore,” Donley said at the council meeting.
City officials said the meeting they are also working to resolve issues with the Parker House in the 100 block of West Main Street and former the Gross Feibel building.
Mayor Drew Hastings said the Hillsboro Community Improvement Corporation has filed an affidavit on the city’s behalf claiming the Parker House, also in the 100 block of West Main Street, was improperly deeded to the CIC.
Juliane Cartaino is a local freelance writer.
