This construction trailer has been sitting unused for at least six months on the old Byzantine property at the corner of 2nd St. and Hwy 3. The people who work at SMSQ can’t be happy but maybe they’re using it for remote office space for Steve Wilmot.
After hours of investigative work, I’ve determined that it’s highly likely the trailer is owned by Gephart Electric. The property is owned by John Mathern, Mendota Homes, and he has not revealed his intentions for the property after he declined to participate with the NDDC in the Building for Creative Professionals, reported back in May by the Nfld News. The empty lot is already an eyesore, as the drought and overflow parking has taken a toll on the grass. What would it take to get the trailer removed by DJJD?
Griff,
Why don’t you toss an e-mail to: Gephart (AT)GephartElectric (DOT) com and see if you get a response?
I agree. It wouldn’t hurt to tidy up before DJJD.
Griff,
I mentioned this trailer to Brian O’Connell a couple of weeks ago because as far as I could tell the construction in the area was done and no one can recollect anyone using this trailer in the last six months anyway – it appears to be abandoned, thus the blight issue.
Steve, I saw Community Development Director Brian O’Connell at the Council meeting tonight and asked him about it. He said the trailer belongs to Mendota Homes, NOT Gephart. I was wrong. (So much for the reliability of my “hours of investigative work” – Suzy Rook, time to take over here!)
He indicated he would be urging MH to take care of it.
In wanting to commend good work happening at City Hall right now, I would like to credit Brian O’Connell, correctly or not, for encouraging Mendota Homes to remove this trailer. It has been gone for a week or two now, and while our view is much improved by its absence, there is still much to be done to the intersection of 2nd and Hwy 3 before we can be proud of this major gateway to our community.
Thx, Steve. It most definitely was Brian O’Connell, city community development director.
Go, Brian! He’s my hero.
Another sign of some progress is the grading of the riverfront side of the Crossing condo building. It looks like Mendota Homes is proceeding with some landscaping in spite of not having started construction on the second building. I’d swear they even brought in some top soil. Maybe we’ll see sod before the snow flies?
Dan, I blogged the progress you mention re: landscaping a couple of weeks ago. See, I’m trying to give them credit wherever possible. 😉