GYPSUM \u2014 The town of Gypsum will soon be the proud owner of a restaurant located at the community\u2019s gateway.<\/p>\n
But Gypsum isn\u2019t planning a move into the burger-slinging business. Rather, the real estate contract signed Tuesday to purchase the Gypsum Grill represents the town\u2019s latest effort to redevelop the community\u2019s Interstate 70 interchange area.<\/p>\n
According to Gypsum Town Manager Jeremy Rietmann, Gypsum Grill owner Arturo Palacio accepted the town\u2019s offer to purchase his commercial property for $960,000. The restaurant building and parking area cover slightly less than one acre. Palacio had listed the property for sale at $1.195 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an investment the town has considered for many years,\u201d said Rietmann. \u201cIn order for us to achieve some of the goals of our master plan, we needed to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rietmann noted that when Palacio built the Gypsum Grill 29 years ago, Gypsum was a very different community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe think Arturo has done a great job up there and has been a long-time local business operator,\u201d said Rietmann.<\/p>\n
But back in the 1980s, traffic at the Gypsum I-70 interchange was mainly composed of town residents who were headed upvalley to work. While those folks are still entering I-70 at Gypsum, they have been joined by people traveling to the Eagle County Regional Airport or Costco.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe see that area of town as the most likely site to be able to generate incremental sales tax growth,\u201d said Rietmann. \u201cThose would be new dollars in the community, not just a shift of spending.\u201d<\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t hard to predict likely business options at the site. Interstate interchanges across the nation include fast-food franchises, convenience stores and fuel options.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everything\u00a0is on the\u00a0table\u00a0because it is so early in this process,\u201d said Rietmann. \u201cThe long term goal is redevelopment \u2014 something that can\u00a0provide an amenity\u00a0that appeals to more peop0le and maybe creates a more appealing entrance to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rietmann noted that people often remark that Gypsum\u2019s entrance doesn\u2019t do the town justice. In fact, he noted the I-70 entryway actually disguises the great community behind it.<\/p>\n
The town has already taken steps to improve its gateway. Several years ago the town purchased the rental cabin site \u2014 often called Turgeonville \u2014 located between U.S. Highway 6 and Gypsum Creek. As the condition of the cabins worsened, Gypsum made the decision to tear them down and create an open space parcel just south of the Union Pacific railroad overpass. The overpass itself got a makeover last summer with fresh paint and masonry. The town also placed a new variable message sign at the site.<\/p>\n
Rietmann added that in 2018 Gypsum worked with the owners of the Wylaco location to do landscaping and build a fence on their southern property line to improve the visual corridor next to the Eagle River.<\/p>\n
When Gypsum takes over the Gypsum\u00a0 Grill site, those beautification efforts will continue. The town also hopes to work with the owner of the adjacent property \u2014 the HiWay 6 Store and Shell gas station \u2014 on a redevelopment plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe properties could both work\u00a0together\u00a0as pieces of a whole that will make sense in the end,\u201d Rietmann said.<\/p>\n
In the more immediate future, Gypsum has until its March 8 closing date to figure out what it will do with the Gypsum Grill once it owns the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll options are open. One option\u00a0that may be worth our while to pursue is to lease the property back to Arturo or find an interim operator,\u201d said Rietmann.\u201dThe longer-term goal is to find a good prospect that is interested in purchasing the property and doing something new. I think it is very likely that there will be demolition at some point and it will be an entirely new operation.\u201d<\/p>\n