The Town of Petrolia has purchased a number of long, vacant lots on Petrolia Line to help with the reconstruction of Petrolia Line.

The town assembled the land between Total Hair and Body Care and Manulife Financial and completed the purchase of it by passing a bylaw for the sale at council Monday for a cost of about $140,000 according to Mayor John McCharles.

Mike Thompson, director of operations, says the original thought was to use the land for parking for shoppers during the two-year construction project. That would mean they would have to access the lot through a narrow alleyway.

VanTuyl and Fairbank owner, Charlie Fairbank, expressed concern about the plan since his business is right next to the alley. He offered the use of part of his land for parking instead.

“It may now be used for a lay down area for the contractor,” says Thompson. Birnam Construction, would then have a place near the construction to put a trailer or materials that are used daily.

It’s not clear what will happen to the land once the construction is complete “whether it would be parking or a park or if the town would sell it, we’re not sure yet,” says Thompson.

McCharles says it may be sold for future development. “Three owners there – putting it all together makes sense makes it possible for someone to develop it now,” says McCharles.

“There has been a lot of people look at it over the years, but no one jumped at it because there was three owners there.”