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Retailer buys but won’t build

Lynn BurtonPost Independent Staff

Just in from the Rumors Squelched Department.Duckwall-ALCO isn’t planning to build a variety or discount store on land it recently purchased in Rifle, a company official said Tuesday.”It’s a real estate investment,” said John Hedeen, vice-president of real estate for the Kansas-based retailer. “We entered into a contract five years ago, and closed on the property just before Christmas.”Rumors and retail stores were hitched together in Rifle for the past few years, until Wal-Mart put most of them to rest when the company announced it will build a store on Airport Road this year.Duckwall-ALCO bought the 5.6-acre property from Union Pacific for $238,500, according to records at the Garfield County Courthouse.The property is on Highway 6 & 24, just west of where the Rifle Chamber of Commerce railroad car visitors center was formerly located.Hedeen said his company’s decision to buy the property had nothing to do with Wal-Mart’s plans to build a superstore off Interstate 70 to the south.Duckwall-ALCO hasn’t decided what it will do with the land. “It’s a good piece of property, so we’ll be entertaining offers from people,” Hedeen said. “But we’re not planning to develop it ourselves.”The property is zoned community service, which allows a wide range of commercial uses, including retail and wholesale establishments, and personal service establishments such as medical clinics.Duckwall-ALCO operates variety and discount stores in 21 states, and targets smaller markets not served by other regional or national retail chains.All of the company’s stores are serviced by a 352,000-square-foot distribution center in Abilene, Kan.


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