Downtown Mall kiosk finds new home

After a brush with the wrecking ball and a short stay in the city yard, the kiosk that sat outside of the CVS on the Downtown Mall until its removal in April has found a new home.

The city sold the wood and copper structure as surplus property in a sealed-bid auction to Keswick resident Richard Hewitt for $2,011, according to Jennifer Luchard, the City's procurement manager.

While he eventually hopes to serve cocktails in the kiosk by the pool, for now winning bidder Hewitt is just "admiring" the Charlottesville artifact, which he says has been more difficult to transport than he realized.

"I'm happy it found a good home," Hewitt says.

Donated to the city after its failure to earn a profit as a newsstand, the kiosk cost $15,000 to $20,000 to build in the early 1990s, according to donor Reid Nagle, who also founded SNL Financial. The structure has also been used as a gift shop, brochure spot, and–- most recently–- a flower shop.

After the Hook wrote of its impending demise and some citizens expressed interest in obtaining the Gaston & Wyatt-built structure, City officials modified the disposal plan. Eventually, 11 people expressed interest to the procurement office, and the auction was advertised on the city's website, Luchard said. Three bids were submitted by the May 5 bid closing, with Hewitt's carrying the day.