March 19, 2003
Below is the original article as published on July 8, 2000 and recently (October 6) updated
Capreol's Eyesore

"What a dump of a town," a recent visitor was overheard to comment to his companion.

As train passengers begin their stroll through our town during a train stop, this is the first thing they encounter. What a visiting card!
Unfortunately these visitors seldom venture beyond Young Street and so don't have an opportunity to really discover our beautiful town. The great facilities at the other end of town remain unknown to them. The beautifully kept homes, the clean streets, our cenotaph and many other great resources stay hidden from them.

Should we care? Of course we should, for several reasons. The Town of Capreol, businesses and individuals spend a great deal of time and money to make this town a great place to live in only to have perhaps the most beautiful piece of real estate occupied by a run-down, neglected and abandoned edifice.

Should we care what vistors think about our town? Of course we should. CNR certainly think so. Just look at the small but nicely designed railway station. Would you like to have visitors say "ah, Capreol that dump up north," or "yeah, Capreol that small but beautiful town with a nice beach by the Vermilion River, with great facilites and beautiful homes and nice stores."
Perhaps we don't care because we don't often venture down to Front Street, and that eyesore is out of our mind.
A peek inside an unlocked and open door
A firetrap, a kids hangout and a disaster waiting to happen

Just think what could be done with this premier location, overlooking the river, and opposite the railway station - a motel, a bed and breakfast, a restaurant, a downtown playground, or even just a parking lot, anything but what there is now.
According to Town officials the site can't be ordered razed since the building inspector ruled the site structurally safe. So, what to do?

Why don't you join me in finding a solution. With your support I will contact the owners, the Town of Capreol and anyone else who can help us to erase this dump and put this site to good use.

If you have information on this site, suggestions for alternatives to what is there now, or any other information which can help, please contact me at 858-4687 or e-mail me at garyb@capreolonline.com Together we can do something. So Capreol get off your butt and do something about it. - Gary Biesinger

Next, we will be looking at the Riviera Hotel and the old Blue Hen buildings who, together with the old Cape make up that trio of eyesores and embarassments in our town. Send me your thoughts if you care.

Hi, I'm Ashley Brownrigg from Capreol, and I am 13 years old, I have lived in Capreol since I was 4 or 5 years old, and I remember when the Tavern burnt down... to me, it is a real big eye-sore, and to the people that come into our Beautiful town, they think that our town is really ugly, because of the Tavern. Why do I know this?? Because I asked someone that was visiting Capreol one day a few weeks ago, and I asked them what the first thing they saw and what they thought of it. The person replied "I saw the big burnt down building near the Train Station, and I thought that it was really ugly." Now my thought was to either take it down, or at LEAST, renovate it so we can use it again, and so that it isn't such an eye sore to the people that visit to our town.
yours truly

Ashley Brownrigg

Hi Ashly
Thank you for your e-mail. Of course that building is an ugly site and I agree with you that we should do something about it. With your and other people's help I am sure sure we can erase this eyesore of Capreol and put this lot to good use. Thank you for writing Ashley. I am going to keep you informed about what progress we make on this subject.

Thanks you again for your support.

Gary