I passed the burned-out shell of the Hungry Bear Market as
I was driving through the flat. I wondered if it would be razed or rebuilt. It
is a scar on a beautiful section of Island Park and a hazard to the curious visitors
who may want to explore the wreckage.
Being the inquisitive type, I spoke with Blake Bowman of
the Fremont County Planning and Building Dept. He advised me that the owner,
Paul Woodie had expressed his intention to rebuild the market. Blake had expected to be provided with the
insurance company’s engineering assessment of the building and an architectural
plan to repair or rebuild by now. He has received neither yet. Mr. Bowman agreed that the building currently
posed an attractive nuisance and would have to be demolished by the county if
the owner failed to address the problem. When pressed for a timeline, he stated
that it would be premature to commit to one until he had more information but
that Fremont County was taking the situation very seriously.
I spoke with Marjean Eastman, who sold the business to
Mr. Woodie and retains an interest in the property. She advised that both she
and Paul received insurance payments for the damaged building a few weeks ago.
She was in the dark regarding the future plans for the property and expressed
the same concerns for the existing hazards as the county.
I phoned Paul Woodie to find out what he intended to do
with the Hungry Bear site and was advised that while currently unavailable, he
would return my call. I had not heard from him by the time of the writing of
this article but look forward to hearing his plans for the market site.
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