T-L Photo/J.D. LONG The Staffilino’s Chevrolet property in Martins Ferry remains dormant, but options for the site are opening up after its sale to Mike Ferns Sr. of A&B Auto Sales in Benwood.

MARTINS FERRY — It is hoped that the sale of the two-tone building that once housed Staffilino Chevrolet Inc. at 900 S. Fourth St. in Martins Ferry will bring back some life to that little corner of town.

An agent for Harvey Goodman realtor in Steubenville confirmed the sale last month. The agent, who declined to provide her name a month after the sale occurred, said the property was sold to Mike Ferns Sr. of A&B Auto Sales in Benwood. The sale was finalized Nov. 10, but the amount of the sale was not given.

“It was a great sale,” the agent said. “It was listed for only one month.”

She added that the sale concluded after a flurry of emails and online posts.

There are no immediate plans to renovate, according to Mike Ferns Sr. who spoke to The Times Leader on Thursday and confirmed he made the purchase. He basically said anything is a possibility for the building, which doesn’t necessarily mean a car dealership.

Ferns – after a medical procedure, dealing with the COVID pandemic, the holidays and the January weather – finally made his way inside the building earlier in the day Thursday. It was his first visit since he inspected it prior to purchase late last year.

“I just had a lot of things going on,” Ferns said of the delay in getting back to the property. “I wasn’t in any hurry to do anything to be truthful.”

There is no electrical service to the structure right now, so his inspection was limited to only a few areas. But he and a contractor went inside to briefly check it out.

Ferns shared some additional information regarding possibilities for the building. He said from what he’s been hearing, there is a shortage of banquet halls in the area, so he thought that might be a possibility for the former car dealership.

“So there’s a need for that,” he said. “There’s lots of things.”

Ferns said purchasing the building as an extension of A&B Auto Sales was not the primary intent.

“You would think it would be my number one choice,” he said. “In a way it would be, but I’m just not sure.”

Ferns added that he’s not being pushed to do anything immediately with the property, so there is no real timeline on its future for now. He also said with the bad weather that is now coming in waves, he is hesitant to do anything.

Ferns also said he is open to suggestions for the building. And he said that means even if someone would be interested in buying it from him, or even investing in it, he would consider all possibilities.