DIDC sells Main St. site

A downtown property that had once been earmarked as the site of a proposed senior housing complex has changed hands.

Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation has sold the property on Main Street north of the railroad tracks that includes an old brick structure that formerly housed Watson’s Sporting Goods and a bar as well as a newer structure that was the site of DCS Computers.

The property was sold to local developers Mike and Patte Bishop for $1.

“It was sitting there and sitting there and was an eyesore,” said Dunkirk Mayor Gene Ritter. “Then an opportunity came along.”

Bishop said he’s hoping to develop a wood products business at that location, showcasing the work of area woodworkers.

“There’s a lot of potential,” Bishop said. “I’m going to have a viable business coming out of there.”

Bishop stressed that he and his son are still in the process of taking stock of the building and how its renovation should be approached. Currently, the property does not have electrical service.

Both Ritter and Bishop acknowledged that the property had been part of Dunkirk’s Stellar Communities grant application during the administration of former mayor Dan Watson. 

But both noted there have been major changes in the state’s Stellar program in recent years.

“The Stellar thing’s a little different now,” said Bishop. “It’s more of a regional thing.”

The senior housing component was also dependent upon the proximity of a grocery store selling fresh food, which is no longer the case.

“The DIDC group decided that (sale) was a better designation than putting our hopes on a Stellar grant,” said Ritter.

The sale includes the buildings and adjacent parking. 

“It’s a fair chunk of land,” said Ritter.

“There’s a lot of good people trying to do good things,” the mayor added. “We figured doing something was better than doing nothing.”