LETTER: Who should pay for mall demo?
I am a lifelong resident of Lone Pine and have read the Observer-Reporter from front to back pretty much all my life. It’s interesting how much knowledge one can still obtain from a newspaper, especially about local news.
Areas that especially interest me in the newspaper are the public notices printed daily and in the Sunday edition. I was fascinated to see in the public records in the Aug. 17 edition one deed transfer in particular: the transfer of the Washington Mall property to the new owners and developers, 79/70 Associates. It seems that 79/70 paid $12,750,000 for the property.
Why is the Washington County Redevelopment Authority paying for a $6 million demolition when the property was sold for that price? This is very interesting. The original mall owners should be responsible for this, not our county, using American Recovery Act money.
That money could have been used to tear down a lot of dilapidated buildings and homes in Washington County.
Yes, I am glad that the mall will be gone soon – such an eyesore – but at what price? It doesn’t seem right.
Brent A. Fulton
Washington