Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
A SPECTACULAR fire that sent heavy smoke as far as East Cloverland Drive in Ironwood destroys Wishbones restaurant in Hurley on Dec. 12, 2013.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Hurley - Hurley City Council members expressed frustration on Tuesday that nearly four years after a fire destroyed the Wishbones restaurant on Silver Street, the bottom part of the structure has not been removed.
The Dec. 12, 2013 fire created a spectacular blaze that sent smoke for miles on a cold winter night.
On Tuesday, council member Joanne Bruneau questioned the status of removal of the remains of the building during the public comment section of the monthly agenda.
Bruneau asked how long the rubble will remain.
Mayor Joe Pinardi said there's a prospective buyer for the former Connie's Supper Club property who has sought information from the city on possible use of tax revolving loan funds. He said that information has been sent to the person.
The previous owner of the parcel, William Murray, of the Chicago area, died before he was able to carry out his plans to renovate the site into a restaurant, leaving the eyesore along the main street.
Murray purchased the property from Iron County for $3,000 and had the roof removed. The property's deed to Murray included the requirements that the property be cleaned up by August 2016 and inhabitable by September 2017.
Murray planned on having a space for a bar and meals, along with an area for fast food.
Pinardi said he'd like to see the parcel remain on the tax rolls, rather than being turned into a green space, as has been proposed by the Hurley Chamber of Commerce.
"We need to keep our assessed tax value up," Pinardi said. He indicated more may be known about a possible sale of the parcel by the council's September meeting.
In other business Tuesday, the council declared Sept. 10-16 National Suicide Prevention Week in the city.
A Combination Class B liquor license was granted to G and L Enterprises LLC of Hurley, for 13 Silver St., the Full Moon Saloon, with Nancy Schwab agent.
A change of agent was approved for Gold Diggers LLC, 15 Silver St., Shooters Showgirls Saloon, Janet L. Broman agent.
Council members learned Ironwood native Josiah Hewitt will return as a part-time officer to the Hurley Police Department, replacing an officer who took a full-time job elsewhere. Hewitt previously worked as a Hurley officer.
