(March 3, 2016) Royal Farms bought the property, but the former Harley-Davidson store just north of Berlin won’t be a new Royal Farms store.
That’s according the Berlin Planning Director Dave Engelhart, who confirmed the sale of the building and 12.7-acre parcel at the corner of Route 50 and Seahawk Road for $3 million to the Baltimore-based company, which has other plans.
Royal Farms is already building a new store at the corner of Route 50 and Friendship Road, just across the street, where an Arby’s currently stands.
“From what I understand, they’re looking for a tenant for the building,” Engelhart said during a phone interview last week. “They would do some remodeling and get a another lease there – that’s their immediate plan.”
Engelhart speculated that the current zoning of the property, B-1 town center, could allow the new tenant to reflect several previous businesses there.
“In the past, it’s been a car dealership – it could be that again. In the past, it’s been a supermarket – it could be that again. It’s in the town center district, so retail uses and business uses are fine,” he said.
He added that the property is the “furthest easterly parcel” on Route 50 within Berlin town limits.
SPUCK LLC sold the property, which includes a 24,675 square-foot commercial structure with showroom and shop space, as well as loading docks and a large parking lot. The building was constructed in 1973.
Although the property has been mostly vacant since Harley-Davidson left in 2010, Engelhart noted that the former owner had a lease agreement with a local auction company, which held regular events there.
“It’ll be tools one month, it’ll be silver and collectables another month. And there have been other events there – they had a little Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce show last year that I went to,” Engelhart said. “It hadn’t been used daily, but from time to time they had little exhibition spaces there.”
Salisbury firm Bendler Realty Corp. represented the buyer in the sale, which took place earlier this month. Randall C. Bendler said the new owner hopes to “find a national tenant to occupy the building.”
Berlin Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells touted the sale as another sign the town was expanding development along its borders. She added that the property was within the limits of the town’s enterprise zone, and could be eligible for state grants for redevelopment.
“I would encourage them to apply for enterprise zone tax credits,” she said. “Hopefully, they clean up the property and put something worthwhile there.”
That’s according the Berlin Planning Director Dave Engelhart, who confirmed the sale of the building and 12.7-acre parcel at the corner of Route 50 and Seahawk Road for $3 million to the Baltimore-based company, which has other plans.
Royal Farms is already building a new store at the corner of Route 50 and Friendship Road, just across the street, where an Arby’s currently stands.
“From what I understand, they’re looking for a tenant for the building,” Engelhart said during a phone interview last week. “They would do some remodeling and get a another lease there – that’s their immediate plan.”
Engelhart speculated that the current zoning of the property, B-1 town center, could allow the new tenant to reflect several previous businesses there.
“In the past, it’s been a car dealership – it could be that again. In the past, it’s been a supermarket – it could be that again. It’s in the town center district, so retail uses and business uses are fine,” he said.
He added that the property is the “furthest easterly parcel” on Route 50 within Berlin town limits.
SPUCK LLC sold the property, which includes a 24,675 square-foot commercial structure with showroom and shop space, as well as loading docks and a large parking lot. The building was constructed in 1973.
Although the property has been mostly vacant since Harley-Davidson left in 2010, Engelhart noted that the former owner had a lease agreement with a local auction company, which held regular events there.
“It’ll be tools one month, it’ll be silver and collectables another month. And there have been other events there – they had a little Ocean Pines Chamber of Commerce show last year that I went to,” Engelhart said. “It hadn’t been used daily, but from time to time they had little exhibition spaces there.”
Salisbury firm Bendler Realty Corp. represented the buyer in the sale, which took place earlier this month. Randall C. Bendler said the new owner hopes to “find a national tenant to occupy the building.”
Berlin Economic and Community Development Director Ivy Wells touted the sale as another sign the town was expanding development along its borders. She added that the property was within the limits of the town’s enterprise zone, and could be eligible for state grants for redevelopment.
“I would encourage them to apply for enterprise zone tax credits,” she said. “Hopefully, they clean up the property and put something worthwhile there.”