By Krystle S. Morey
Almost four years after a fire destroyed two buildings on Granville’s Main Street, the properties will soon see new life.
The owners of the newly-reopened Scotties’, Mark and Edie Pickard, have purchased one of the two vacant lots that have sat as piles of rubble behind a wooden fence. They plan to convert the eyesore to expand their diner and convenience store.
Edie Pickard said the sale closed Friday for the smaller of the two properties. She declined to disclose the purchase price.
The couple’s offer for the second property, which they put in about two weeks ago, is still being considered. They are working with Bob Tressler of Heritage Manor Realty in Hebron to negotiate with the sellers.
“We are just waiting for the title search on the other one,” Pickard said.
Purchasing the neighboring lots will enable Scotties’ to push out its easterly wall and establish a larger dining and store area.
“We want to do like an outdoor eatery, so that people in the summer can sit outside and eat,” Pickard said. The outdoor patio seating will be surrounded by plastic walls with windows and doors that can zip open, but still be used to keep bugs out.
Inside, she said, the expansion will enable them to install a large walk-in freezer that will help with storing food, a larger storefront, kitchen area and more indoor seating.
“We’ll still do the booths and everything, and the counter will be the same…just like Scotties’ is now,” Pickard said.
Pickard said she would like to expand the storefront and bring in more affordable items. She has talked with a dollar store company that would come in and help set up the store and stock it with items.
“It would be just like Dollar Tree,” she said. “That would help the community more than having just a convenience store. The dollar store products would help our community a lot more.”
All of these plans, Pickard said, will take a year or more to come to fruition. Before they can get started on any expansion, the Pickards have a bit of clean-up and filling to do at the new properties.
The November 2012 fire destroyed what used to be the All In One Exchange pawn shop and the L.E. Roberts jewelry store, which was being used as an art studio and gallery. A family was displaced when an apartment above one of the businesses was lost.
Firefighters stood atop Scotties’ to attack the neighboring fire. The now diner and convenience store sustained smoke damage and the awning was damaged during clean-up.
Officials got the call around 3:50 a.m. for what was later determined to be an accidental electrical fire.
Since then, the two properties have lain in rubble behind a wooden fence that, at times, looked at risk to fall over.
When Mayor Brian LaRose heard the news of the Pickards’ plans Monday, he said he thinks it’s “a great thing.”
“It’s really good news,” he said. “I think the community should be in full support of what they are trying to do and offer any assistance we can to push it along.”