A Warrenton couple has purchased the building owned by Mary Louise Flavel at Ninth and Commercial streets, an investment that could help improve an eyesore downtown.
Marcus and Michelle Liotta, who moved to the area from Portland earlier this year, bought the vacant building Friday for $135,000. They plan to set up their own businesses eventually in two or three of the five storefronts and lease the others.
“We chose that building because we see potential in it. We know the history of it. We’d like to invest in Astoria and put something into the community,” said Marcus Liotta, a 35-year-old technology marketing specialist at Ticor Title. “We both feel, by restoring a building like that, given its historical significance, that we will be contributing to the city.”
Named the M&N Building after Mary Christina Flavel — Mary Louise’s great-grandmother and the wife of Capt. George C. Flavel — and her daughter, Nellie Flavel, the dilapidated structure was built in 1924 and covers 8,000 square feet, plus a basement of equal size.
It is the latest Flavel property to find a new owner. Last year, the family’s mansion at 15th Street and Franklin Avenue was sold to Greg Newenhof, co-owner of City Lumber, for $221,901.
Mary Louise Flavel owns another property on the south side of Commercial Street. Her conservator, Caroline Evans, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Michelle Liotta, 39, said she and her husband are excited to own a Flavel property.
“We want to try to add to Astoria without taking away from its history and small-town personality. We don’t want to try to make huge changes,” she said.
Though the couple considered purchasing different properties, “we gravitated toward this one even though it needs work,” Marcus Liotta said. “We’re not afraid of work.”
In their letter to the city, the Liottas said they are “aware that there are several major issues with the building in its current condition, including structural, roof, electrical, siding etc. Our plan would be to start by getting a structural engineer for a professional opinion on what would need to be done to bring any major foundation issues or structural safety concerns up to code, per the city of Astoria.”
The Liottas, who lived in Portland for more than 15 years, also own a 116-year-old triplex on Columbia Street. They purchased that property in May 2013 and renovated it.
Before moving to the North Coast, the couple had visited the area for about 10 years, they said. In 2011, they got engaged on the roof of the Hotel Elliott.
“We love Astoria,” said Michelle Liotta, who worked the front desk at KOIN 6 in Portland.
John Goodenberger, a local historian, said, “This is a good day for us — ‘us’ being Astoria — because it means we can move forward on that building.”
Goodenberger briefly met the Liottas in May when he and Community Development Director Kevin Cronin took them and other sightseers on a guided tour of downtown Astoria. The tour included the M&N Building.
“(W)e believe we can restore this beautiful building to its former greatness,” the Liottas wrote.
