Developers show interest in historic pump house
A historic pump house in Victoria’s Riverside Park could be sold to investors interested in making it into a public business.
Parties from both sides declined to disclose the type of business because the deal isn’t complete, they said.
“It started out as a way to find somebody to lease it and maybe turn it into a concession stand where people can turn in canoes,” said Lewis Neitsch, a city parks commissioner. “An individual has gotten a hold of it and wants to spend a substantial amount of money down there.”
The city council authorized the staff to begin the process that could lead to sale of the property, which is in the 1200 block of Stayton Street. City Attorney Thomas Gwosdz said because it is public property, the city will take bids on it.
People have expressed interest in the property, but it’s premature to discuss details now, he said. “At this point, we don’t even know who would be bidding on something like this.”
The city council considered demolishing the building about three years ago at a price of $250,000 to $300,000. But Neitsch, who was on the council at the time, and Council Member Tom Halepaska asked the council to wait.
“I begged the council to let it sit,” Halepaska said. “They said OK and in the meantime we tried to find some uses for it.”
Neitsch said the potential investors are a local businessmen and out-of-town backers.
Halepaska said if the deal works, it will save the city the cost of demolishing the building and put an improvement on the tax roll. It also costs the city $20,000 a year to maintain the property and building.
John Johnston, the city floodplain administrator, said it appears the land is in the 100-year floodplain, but not the building. More exact measurements would be needed to confirm that, he said.
“But even with it being in this portion of the floodplain, development is allowed, especially commercial development,” he said. “Commercial developers have the opportunity to use materials that are flood resistant and make sure that if water does get in there, they can just wash it out and go right back.”
The city used the pump house as a water plant until 2001, when the city switched from well water to river water, said Lynn Short, Victoria’s public works director.
“When we were on groundwater, it was a water supply plant,” he said. “We had two water wells that pumped into it and water was treated there.”
