After being closed for more than 15 years, it appears there will soon be a new occupant for the shuttered Kerr McGee gas station and convenience store at Main and Westgate Avenue.
On a 3-2 vote, the Salem City Council Monday night approved a Class A Liquor License that will allow for package and on-site consumption of liquor as well as video gaming.
Mayor Nic Farley joined councilman Royce Bringwald and Craig Morton in approving the license because they wanted to see something done with the long-vacant building.
“Video gaming wasn’t his primary focus. Even in his application, it was to stay competitive with other package liquor stores. And so with that not necessarily his focus, it’s not just a gaming parlor that sells liquor, it would be a store where you could purchase liquor and it would happen to have gaming. The video parlor’s I think we’ve been clear we don’t want, but this is in a gray area.”
The other two councilpersons, Amy Troutt and Jim Koehler, voted no because they had earlier taken a stance against any more video gaming facilities in town.
The owner of the new business, Jigar (Jay) Patel, lives in Salem and has been successfully operating a gas station, package liquor, and video gaming business in the former Hucks Store in Sandoval. He says he will spend one million dollars on the purchase and renovation of the building and have seven to ten employees. The plans also include having a BBQ food truck and picnic tables in the summer for area residents to have another eating establishment to choose from.
