It closed out its active life as the Liquidation Outlet.
But Auburnites who grew up in the ’60s and ’70s may remember the building at 30 W. Main as the 88 Cents Store.
However one recalls it, the storefront on West Main opposite City Hall has been empty — indeed, ugly empty — for nearly 10 years, its owner, Washington Bank clinging on to its holding despite the building’s poor condition and, at one point, the City’s offer to raze it along with other buildings.
Now public records show that private developers Levan Auburn Development, LLC, of Los Angeles and Iounnou, LLC of Seattle, have purchased the building from Washington Bank.
Not just that property, either, they also bought the parking north of the Sun Break Café at 22 A St. SW, and most of the parking lot east of the cafe. Purchase price:$990,000.
In June, the same group plunked down $275,000 to buy from Gerald Honeysett the old Charlie Wong lounge site, which shared its west wall with the Liquidation Outlet.
The common wall, west of the Auburn Downtown Plaza, is an infamous eyesore.
A bit of history is attached to these properties.
By a previous agreement, the Stratford Group, a real estate development firm, which had at one time owned most of the block immediately south of City Hall — the exceptions being the Charlie Wong property and the Sun Break Café — had been required to notify the City by the close of business on April 1, 2009 whether it intended to proceed with its development plans. No such notification was received.
And when Stratford’s plans fizzled, the City bought the parcels back. Later, the City sold the parcels to Washington Bank.
City officials say the new owners of these holdings have not yet set a demolition date, and neither have they filed development plans with the City of Auburn.
Sun Break Café owner Bruce Alverson said he stands to lose use of all but a narrow strip of the parking lots around him. For that he blames former Mayor Pete Lewis for selling the above-mentioned lots and others years ago.
“If you are thinking about opening a small business in downtown Auburn, and you think you will need parking for your customers, you had better think again,” Alverson said.
