The former Olympic Pharmacy building lot could is up for sale. The sale to a party other than the City of Forks could impact the hopes and plans of the community for reconstructing the Rainforest Arts Center on an adjacent lot.

The contiguous buildings located on the corner of Forks Ave. and Division St. burnt down in late-October in a fire caused by a flooded electrical conduit.

The 4,960 square-foot Olympic Pharmacy lot was listed last week by Realtor Paul Pagac of Forks Avenue Realty. The asking price is $74,500. The lot is owned by Alaska Financial, a company based in Anchorage. The building located on the lot last housed the Dazzled By Twilight souvenir shop, which had been shuttered for over a year prior to the fire.

The online listing for the lot touts it as: "On Main Street – Next to Stoplight – Popular Tourist Area – On City Water and Sewer."

Pagac said the Clallam County assessed value of a commercial lot located along a wide section of Forks Avenue is generally a standard $36,000, for lots at the prime stoplight corner, as well as lots blocks away. The $74,500 listing price is based upon the prime location of the lot. 

The Forks-based Realtor said his agency is giving the City of Forks right of first refusal should a legitimate offer be made for the corner lot. 

“We’ll see what happens,” Pagac said regarding the listing.

The potential sale of the lot to the City of Forks was discussed at the Feb. 6 meeting of the Forks Chamber of Commerce. At issue was whether to encourage Mayor Bryon Monohon and the City Council to support purchasing the Olympic Pharmacy lot to add it to the city-owned Rainforest Arts Center lot.

The city holds a replacement $3.7 million insurance policy for the RAC structure and the lot it sat on. What the components of a replacement building should include is the topic of an upcoming series of community meetings being held by the City of Forks. One meeting – a joint Forks Chamber and West End Business & Professional Association meeting – is set for Wednesday, March 13 at JT’s Sweet Stuffs. 

Input at the meeting could show if the Olympic Pharmacy lot would be needed to fulfill the overall vision for rebuilding the city-owned building. Potential options voiced within the community for the vacant Olympic Pharmacy lot could include using it as a parking lot for a new building on the RAC lot, or to rebuild across the two lots.

Erin Queen of Forks Avenue Realty spoke up at the Feb. 6 Chamber meeting and said she had spoken to Forks City Attorney/Planner Rod Fleck regarding the lot. Queen said the potential purchase of the Olympic Pharmacy lot by the City of Forks hasn’t yet been addressed by the City Council. The next council meeting is set for Monday, Feb. 11.

Monohon told the Forks Forum in a phone call made after the meeting that the listing of the Olympic Pharmacy property would be discussed at the Feb. 11 council meeting. He said currently due to the ongoing insurance process the city is going through following the burning down of the city-owned Rainforest Arts Center site, the city is on hold regarding the listing of the Olympic Pharmacy site. The mayor welcomed members of the community to attend the upcoming council meeting to offer their views on the potential purchase of the Olympic Pharmacy site. If unable to attend the meeting, a letter to him regarding the listing would also be welcomed.  

Monohon said in light of the listing being posted he remains positive that the community’s developing plans for the RAC replacement will successfully move ahead, and that it is fair that the owners of the lot are seeking a buyer at this time.

Queen said there are ways within the real estate sales transaction system for the city to delay the sale to other buyers of the corner Olympic Pharmacy lot.

Forks Chamber of Commerce Director Lissy Andros encouraged Chamber members to attend the council meeting to “let your voice be heard” on the possible land acquisition.

Port of Port Angeles Commissioner, and Chamber member, John Calhoun said city governments are exempt from having to hold land acquisition discussions during a public meeting should the purchase of the Olympic Pharmacy site become an item for council consideration. 

Forks Chamber of Commerce President Bill Peach said the Chamber doesn’t have a position on whether the city should purchase the lot.