advertisement

Roselle has demolition party for abandoned gas station

A long-shuttered gas station in Roselle finally succumbed to the wrecking ball on Friday.

But first, village officials celebrated the clearing of the site at the northeast corner of Roselle Road and Devon Avenue with a demolition party.

"This is a reverse ribbon-cutting," said Mayor Andy Maglio, who was joined by village trustees.

The gas station, just north of Turner Park, was abandoned in 2010 and had become an eyesore. Because the building was deemed unsafe, Maglio said the village erected a fence around the site.

Ultimately, the goal was for the building to come down.

"I want the entrance to the village to look presentable," Maglio said.

So Roselle went through a lengthy period of complicated legal actions to prove the gas station is a blight and should be condemned.

"We don't own the property," Maglio said. "We don't want to own the property."

Because the village doesn't own the land, getting approval to demolish the structure included discovering who owns the land and working with the village attorney and the circuit court.

Maglio said the legal process took about 18 months.

"It's been a long time coming," he said of the demolition.

The village is fronting the cost of the demolition, which is estimated to be less than $10,000. It then will place a lien on the property for future recuperation of that and other costs.

Despite the demolition work, Maglio said the village isn't removing the underground fuel tanks. The village is simply going to put dirt over the top of the site and plant grass.

Once the parcel is a grassy lot, the village will continue to maintain it until the property owners step forward.

At that time, development of the parcel will be incumbent on the owner and the private sector, village officials said.

  Roselle Mayor Andy Maglio starts the "demolition party," to kick off the razing of a long-vacant gas station. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
  Crews demolish a long-vacant gas station at the northeast corner of Roselle Road and Devon Avenue in Roselle. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.