Gavel to come down on historic Ted's Place
FORT COLLINS (AP) –
Ted's place goes on the auction block today,
offering the high bidder a chance to own one of the few private properties marked on Colorado maps.
The historic restaurant-gas station landmark north of Fort Collins, was opened on May 25, 1922, by Edward J. "Ted" Herring at U.S. 287 and Colorado 14.
According to local lore, Herring, who served as a state representative and senator for Larimer County,
used his influence to get Ted's Place designated on the state map.
Ted's Place closed its doors when the last managers walked out in 1987.
And a few months ago, its owner lost a lawsuit over control of the property.
At 10 a.m. today, the 6,000-square-foot building and the 0.94-acre plat it sits on will be auctioned off.
There will be no minimum bid,
and owner Stan Blehm will have the right to reject the highest bid.
“There seems to be some interest,”
Blehm said Sunday during one of four open houses at Ted's.
“I just want to see a strong person come in here that could make it work.”
As most locals attest,
Ted's Place is more than a dot on the map –
it has been the gateway to the Poudre Canyon and a haven for hungry travelers
for 66 years.
The possibilities for Ted's Place are virtually limitless,
said Tom Smith, the real estate broker handling the auction.
Some interested buyers have suggested opening a bned and breakfast in
a store, a tourist information shop, antique store,
or reopening it as a restaurant.
Others mentioned tearing the building down and starting fresh.
Several curious people dropped by Ted's Place on Sunday.
They found a building showing signs of benign neglect.
Ivy growing on the front of the building
covers the "D" and "S" of "TED'S."
Some windows have been broken by vandals, and all the tables,
chairs and counter stools are gone;
they were auctioned off in March 1988 by the
Colorado Department of Revenue to recover $3,000 in back taxes.
New owners would need to be financially secure, motivated, and confident
they could bring Ted's Place back from its current two-year slumber,
Blehm said.
“That is one of the bad things about Ted's Place,”
he said.
“It's gotten a bad name and gone through several owners.”
Also included in Saturday's auction will be a seven-acre tract south of Ted's
and a 35-acre tract in Cherokee Park north of Ted's,
also owned by Blehm.
In addition to a building, the lot, two storage tanks,
living quarters, a walk-in refrigerator,
an electric sign at the intersection,
a parking lot and a water tap,
the new owner will acquire the name and location Ted's Place has
banked on for six decades, Smith said.
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