Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook says the demolition of a convenience store in the city’s Fairfield neighborhood is symbolic.
“This particular store, kind of, represented all that was really bad in that community,” the Chief said on Wednesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
“Not only are we closing it, but we’re knocking it completely to the ground and we’re going to put that land to good use.”
Demolition work was scheduled to begin Wednesday at the site of the former All-In-One convenience store on 9th Avenue.
The place was shut down after three people including Abderahamane ‘Abe’ Eloirzazi, the store’s owner and operator, plead guilty to defrauding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”), formerly known as the food stamp program.
For years, Eloirzazi would pay cash to buy “SNAP” benefits from customers. As part of his plea deal on the federal charges, he agreed to turn over the deed to the All-In-One store. He faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced next week.
Prior to Wednesday’s demolition, Chief Holbrook was scheduled to speak at the store site along with Booth Goodwin, the U.S. Attorney for West Virginia’s Southern District.
Chief Holbrook says he’s hoping tearing down the building will end the problems that have plagued the store for years.
“It was really the central hub for ongoing crime and slum and blight. It had an outrageous amount of calls for service. It was a drain on resources,” Chief Holbrook said. He says Huntington Police have responded to hundreds of calls there over the years.
“It was where you went to buy beer and single cigarettes and, what they call ‘party packs,’ which is drug paraphernalia , so it really had no positive purpose for being there.”
The demolition is part of larger efforts to revitalize the Fairfield area involving local, state and federal agencies by addressing the drug trade, especially.
Chief Holbrook says they’ll be looking for input from community members on what to do with the cleared space where the All-In-One was once located.