As Highlands Fire and Rescue makes its move into the new fire station on Franklin Road, eyes are turning to the future of the current fire station on Oak Street.
On Thursday night, the town board of commissioners heard a proposal from the Highlands ABC Board about possibly relocating the ABC Store to the Oak Street location.
“We realize that the town is still very early in the process of deciding what to do with the current fire department, but we would definitely be interested in relocating to that location,” ABC Board Chair Steve Mehder said. “The ABC Store is currently located in Highlands Plaza, and that space has limitations.”
Mehder pointed out that the current ABC Store is approximately 4,200 square feet, which encompasses 2,100 square foot retail space, offices and storage space.
“We do not have enough space for inventory and storage in the current location,” ABC Store General Manager Kevin Vinson said. “We only receive shipments twice per month, and right now our stock is overflowing from the storage area out onto the sales floor. We need to be able to keep the aisles clear and have all of the inventory in the back.”
Vinson added that the influx of “ready to drink” cocktails over the past two years has created a need for coolers to be installed in the retail space, which takes away from the overall square footage of the current location.
Ready to drink alcoholic beverages traditionally come pre-mixed in a can or bottle and are kept refrigerated.
“The market for ready to drink beverages has exploded and is showing no signs of slowing down,” Vinson said. “These are not the malt liquor beverages of the past, but rather mixed drinks already pre-mixed. We put in a large three-door cooler earlier this year and I can see us needing another cooler or possibly two in the very near future.”
Mehder noted that a move to a stand-alone building would eliminate the ABC Store’s current monthly rent payments and that the ABC Board has a building fund with money available to help with the construction or remodeling of a future location.
“We feel like a move to Oak Street could be revenue neutral on the front end and potentially beneficial on the back end by no longer having to pay rent,” Mehder said. “That means more money could go to the nonprofits that the ABC Store supports.”
Mehder and Vinson asked the board for permission to have an architect look at the current fire station space, which is roughly 11,000 square feet, and determine if the location would be feasible to house the ABC Store.
“What I think needs to happen is we need to have that property looked at to see what the potential bet use is,” commissioner Amy Patterson said. “I don’t think we want to commit to anything quite yet when it comes to the future of that site.”
Mehder noted that having an architect look at the site and the current structure does not cost the town anything, and it does not commit the town to using the site for an ABC Store. The board granted permission for the ABC Board to bring in an architect to review the Oak Street property.
Town manager Josh Ward noted that a feasibility study focused on all the town-owned property along Oak Street between 3rd and 4th streets is something the board may want to consider in the next budget year.
“It is probably a good time to look at the future of the whole tract, from Town Hall, to the police department, the Highlands Playhouse, and the fire department,” Ward said. “The entire parcel is about 5 acres.”