This is in reference to the article, “City eyes radiator shop land” in the Lewiston Sun Journal on April 6.

I would like to respond to the assistant city administrator Greg Mitchell’s comment, “We pay for what’s actually in the ground.”

This radiator shop was there for many years. It’s not so long ago that the city bought the building and land on the corner of Lincoln and Main streets, which housed a tattoo parlor and pizza shop. If I remember correctly, the city paid each of the tenants $50,000 to relocate. The owner of the building was offered $160,000, but after retaining an attorney the city was forced to pay an additional $100,000 for a total of $260,000 for the building for an overall expense to the city of $360,000. Plus, the city then had to pay to have the building demolished and at what cost?

This brought that piece of property to exactly the way the Radiator Shop land appears now, a vacant lot.

In addition to this, I would also like to know why is it the city can pay $540,000 for the property known as Lincoln Street Radiator and then will have to pay more to have it razed, and not be willing to pay what the Radiator Shop land is worth or, at the very least, allow the owner to rebuild his business?
Joseph Roy, Lewiston

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