UPDATE: Danville’s IDA voted to take a 90-day purchase option on the property so that they could have the time needed for an environmental study on the underground gas tanks. We’re still 100% confident that the IDA will eventually buy the property.
SouthsideCentral has learned that Danville’s Industrial Development Authority will vote to buy the gas station next to the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History at their meeting on Tuesday, January 12th.
Background sources have confirmed that Danville’s Industrial Development Authority has entered into a sales contract to purchase the property at 1009 Main Street. That’s the location of a former Exxon gas station that has been closed for well over a year and it’s right across the street from the museum. The property has had multiple rezoning and special use permit applications turned down by Danville Planning Commission & City Council due to strong objections from nearby residents. The most recent attempt failed in December when potential new owners asked to have the property rezoned so that they could put a convenience store/gas station on the property.
SouthsideCentral has discovered that Danville’s Industrial Development Authority will go into closed session at their regular 11AM meeting on Tuesday to discuss this purchase then will return to open session to pass a resolution to officially buy the property from Abercrombie Oil Company. At this time, we do not know the proposed price nor do we know we the planned use for this property. Danville’s Industrial Development Authority has been buying a lot of commercial property over the past few years. They’ve either sold or leased their acquisitions to new owners. We believe that the rumored use of the property to be a refueling station for police vehicles to be false.
SouthsideCentral will be doing LIVE! coverage from tomorrow morning’s IDA meeting and we encourage our readers to check the website for the latest details. We’ll also be pushing out information during the meeting on our social media channels, including our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, our Instagram account and my personal Facebook page. I strongly encourage all of our readers to follow as many of our social media channels as possible.
This is a developing story and SouthsideCentral is proud to be the first media outlet to let you know about breaking news events… and sometimes like this, before they happen.
I hope they succeed in overriding the precious OWE and other residents in their use of the building. I am tired of NO progress ; always opposition to this and that. OWE / Main Street / river district residents need to get knocked off their high mighty pedestal.
Nothing high and mighty about protecting your home and the hundreds of thousands invested in your home. If anyone would want to live next to a convenience store, there are FOUR now located at the intersection of Ridge and Memorial…..litter, loitering, noise, traffic, and armed robberies come to mind.
If home owners are so concerned about traffic, noise, litter or crime, perhaps investing in a home on Main St. was not in their best interest. I personally would like to see revitalization of our downtown and having a convenience store would be beneficial to the people who actually work in the area as well to the people who live nearby. Look at Roanoke, Greensboro or Chapel Hill for example… Their downtown’s are bustling with crowds walking the streets, supporting local businesses and cultural events. It’s a shame that our progress is hindered by Danville’s stuffy elite. You’re either for progress or against it… and if you’re against it, maybe you should consider relocating.
AYE MEN.
old west end, river district and west main are becoming spoiled rich brats—they act like they are suppose to get their way on everything that concerns them. they don’t want this they don’t want that
There’s a wonderful grocery a stone’s throw away for those who work in the area in the daytime. For the hospital set that work different hours, Walgreens is right there. I think the OWE crowd opposed a convenience store for terrible and inappropriate reasons, but that use doesn’t really fit that corner well for totally different reasons if you ask me.
Thanks Bruce. … we will be reading.
Could this be a conflict of interest?
No.
The city or IDA should not be in the business of buying commercial property. Seems to me like a huge conflict of interest.
That’s a perfectly legal function of an IDA.
I didn’t say legality was the issue. It just appears to be a conflict of interest that a government entity would not allow the owner or potential owner to use the property as they wished so now a government entity is going to buy it and do as they wish. Although lawful, perhaps we don’t need an IDA as I cannot think of any real value it has brought the city in the last 10 years.
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[…] I’m proud of my investigative reporting that uncovered the IDA’s plan to by the gas station property beside the museum. I worked for a week before I was finally able to tell my readers that the IDA was planning to bid […]