WB Realty tears down ‘chocolate’ building, developing plans for site
A demolition crew takes down the former Lirio Chocolate building at 419 Eagle Bend Road in Clinton on Thursday, April 11. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Owner Ken White said Tuesday that he hopes to get the design of the new structure completed and contracts signed by early May, but he would not say what type of business is planning to move onto the site, which sits along the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks across from Market Street.
He obtained a demolition permit for the 1,648-square-foot building on April 10, citing a cost of $10,000 for the work, and it was removed last Thursday and Friday by a crew with backhoes.
The pieces of the building were dropped into large dumpsters and hauled away, and by Monday morning there was nothing left on the site except a covering of gravel that made it look like a parking lot.
In February, White said he had a contract with the Lirio Chocolate owner, Chris Kopek, to purchase the site, and had already acquired the former Real Dry Cleaners building next door.
He said Monday that the dry cleaners building will remain on its lot, as he has no plans to tear it down at this time.
WB Realty also now owns four other downtown properties, White said. They are the building at 341 Market St. that houses Granny’s Attic antiques, and the two buildings at 356 and 358 Market St., and the former comic-book store at 372 N. Market St.
Historic Clinton Antiques is the tenant at 356 Market St., while 358 Market is vacant.
Last week, workers were clearing out the interior of the comic-book store building. White has not announced plans for that site yet, either.