ABC Store on the Move

The Highlands ABC store will soon find a new home thanks to a vote by the town board of commissioners on Thursday night.

Following a presentation by ABC Board Chair Steve Mehder and ABC Store Manager Kevin Vinson, the board approved a plan to relocate the store from its current home in Highlands Plaza, to the site of the former Highlands Fire Department on Oak Street.

Mehder presented an architectural drawing of what the outside of the new store would look like following renovations.

“Because we have been putting some money aside over the years in anticipation of an opportunity like this, we don’t think we are going to need any financing to do the renovations at the fire station,” Mehder said. “But if we do, it will not be a large amount and it will be procured by our board over a very short term. The renovation won’t cost the town anything.”

Mehder noted that the ABC store contributes roughly $400,000 per year to the town and that this new location is expected to improve the business on multiple fronts – From increased parking to a much larger warehouse and distribution space.

“We are looking at 11 parking spaces in front of the building, and the end space will be in front of a roll-up door for loading vehicles of our mixed beverage commercial customers,” Vinson said. “Having that door, and the associated inventory racks, will make our staff’s lives much easier because it will be easier to keep organized, and it will be safer for them as opposed to lifting heavy boxes off the ground and into a truck or van.”

When asked if there was any concern regarding a potential loss of business due to not being in the larger plaza, Vinson noted that liquor is not like other retail goods in terms of how it’s purchased.

“For most people, when they want a bottle it’s like a military mission,” Vinson said. “They know where the liquor store is, they know what they want, they get in and they get out. There’s not a whole lot of folks who come into the store just to browse around and see what we have. So we think the new location will actually be an asset to our customers.”

Mehder informed the town board that the ABC board has a contractor lined up ready to begin work on the former fire station pending approval.

The board voted 4-1 to approve using the former fire station for the ABC store with commissioner Marc Hehn casting the dissenting vote. The next step in the process will be for the town attorney to draw up a lease for the property to be approved by both the town board and ABC board at a future meeting.