ASHLAND – The owner of the two Main Street buildings being demolished this week said his goal is to add value to downtown Ashland.

Matt Wurster owns the two century-old buildings at 76 and 80 East Main Street, best known as the former Weiss Family Pharmacy. Demolition of both buildings is underway. 

Wurster’s limited liability company, Main Street Holdings of Ashland, purchased those buildings in May, along with the adjacent building that formerly housed Napa Auto Parts. 

Wurster bought the two Weiss buildings from Curt Conner, who used them as a flea market for a short time. The buildings had been largely vacant since 2003, when the pharmacy closed.

“When I bought the buildings, I knew they were in rough shape,” Wurster said. “The intent was to fix them up and lease them out.”

Wurster envisioned creating an environment to help small businesses thrive in downtown Ashland, but the condition of the buildings threw a wrench into those plans. 

“Unfortunately, after I bought them and even before I got the keys, the floor collapsed and other structural issues reared their heads,” Wurster said of the former Weiss buildings.

After consulting with engineering and safety experts, Wurster reluctantly determined the buildings needed to be demolished. 

Wurster said he wants to dispel rumors about his plans for the properties.

“There will be no rebuild. There will be no building,” he said. “There will not be a parking lot.”

Instead, Wurster said, the property will be converted into “some kind of open space” designed to add value to downtown. That may be green space, or it may be something else, he said. 

Wurster said he is working closely with city leaders and consulting the Ashland Main Street downtown community to determine how the space can best be used.  

“Ideas have been thrown around, but at this point even myself and the mayor don’t know what’s going to happen,” Wurster said. 

As for the former Napa building, Wurster still plans to fix it up and lease it out.

“It was rough inside as well, but it doesn’t have those structural issues,” Wurster said. 

Wurster plans to move quickly on the work and hopes to have the building rehabilitation complete sometime next year. 

“I’d love to see it become a restaurant, but I’d need to find the right tenant,” he said.