Coos Bay Mayor Joe Benetti’s news release – The old blue and white building at the corner of Newmark Avenue and South Wall Street in Empire has been vacant for many years. The building has deteriorated and has become an eyesore. While the building has sat idle, the property has become a makeshift overflow parking lot for adjacent businesses and community events. A gas station was operated at the property from the 1950s through 1991, undergoing several ownership changes between Chevron, Franko, Texaco and a Pacific Pride fuel station. he current owners of the property, Dutch Bros, has been working through the process to identify and mitigate contamination at the property. In 2021, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a “No Further Action” (NFA) letter meaning that no further mitigation was necessary after determining that the site poses no objectionable risks to human health or the environment. Last year, representatives from Dutch Bros began discussions with City staff about their intent to demolish the building and the small building behind that property in preparation for selling the properties. Given the need for parking and the fact that the property was serving as a makeshift parking lot, Dutch Bros agreed to donate the property to the City with a deed restriction that the properties must be placed into public use. Once the City has ownership, staff will be taking the necessary steps to demolish the buildings, secure the necessary environmental permits, and then design and develop a public parking lot. The proposed parking lot will not only provide parking for the customers of Tokyo Bistro, guests of theatre events at the Dolphin Playhouse, and people visiting Ed Lund Park, it will be used for special community events like the Clamboree and the annual Empire Christmas Tree lighting event. I want to take a moment and sincerely thank Dutch Bros for their generosity. One of the organization’s core beliefs listed on their website is “giving back through fundraisers, grants and donations is part of our DNA as a company.” The statement is more than just some words on a webpage. Dutch Bros puts their stated core beliefs into action throughout the year in this community and many others.
