Small business owner takes care of concerning eye sore in Logan County
LOGAN COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) — KFOR has an update to a story we brought you last week of an eye sore in Logan County, which many worried was a potential safety hazard. After the story aired, a local business owner stepped in to fix the issue.
The abandoned Hess Gas Station awning on the corner of Coltrane and Waterloo in Logan County was in disrepair for months until Joe Haynes, owner of C & I Contracting Inc., took matters into his own hands.
“I just realized something needed to be done… It was dangerous. Second thing was it just looked terrible,” said Haynes.
Haynes says he tried reaching out to the property owners several times, so after watching KFOR’s story and learning the Georgia-based company is allegedly bankrupt, he decided to clean up the mess.
“It was really kind of a pretty easy job, but it was very hazardous,” said Haynes.
Haynes said he and his employees fixed the eye sore first thing on Monday morning. The job took about three to four hours. They removed the broken awning and cut the electrical wires free.
“There are still things that need to be done. We just did the minimum that we had to do to make it as safe as possible. And it’s still not pretty, but at least it’s safe for people to walk by and it’s not going to blow out in the intersection,” said Haynes.
Residents worry Logan County eye sore could be potential safety hazard
Haynes said it was only a matter of time before the awning would fall off and potentially hurt someone.
“It was barely hanging on. And, um, it actually didn’t take much to pull it all down,” said Haynes.
Residents and business owners in the area told KFOR they are thankful the mess is finally cleaned up.
“We are happy, excited. It makes things look nice… Some customers were wondering what’s happening or what’s going on, especially because this area is developing a lot… Every time we drive by it obviously is eye catching and concerning because, you know, we want to preserve this area, this community,” said Eduardo Caballeros, owner of Little Knights.
Eduardo Caballeros, owner of Little Knights—which sits across the street from the gas station—says business has picked up over the years, so it is important eye sores like this are taken care of.
“It’s growing… We’ve been in this area for about 10 years… We strive every day to give them the best… It’s important because the community is great. The people are great and very loyal… And I feel like they deserve nothing but the best, the best quality. So, it’s important to preserve this area,” said Caballeros.
According to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the property is owned by Mountain Express Oil Company out of Acworth, Georgia. However, according to the company’s website, it is permanently closed. In a recent article published by C-Store Dive, the reporter wrote, “Mountain Express filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March 2023.”
KFOR tried getting ahold of the company again, but was not successful.
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