The Eyesore on the Corner

Standing at the main intersection in Walkersville, Marsala’s Restaurant greets residents and visitors with a sight of blight that has upset many residents.   The small restaurant at the corner of Main Street and Frederick Street never seemed very busy.  For over a year now, the property serves no purpose outside of an eyesore for the community.

A tree fell through the roof of the restaurant dealing a death knell to the struggling restaurant.  The damage and repairs required all of the furniture to be moved out of the building.  There it has set, out of the building, for over a year.  At first, it appeared to be a busy march toward re-modeling and re-opening.  That energy died after two weeks.

Today, the property looks like a yard sale in suspended animation.  The entire porch, wrapping around two sides of the building, holds the contents of a restaurant.  Appliances, stainless steel tables, cabinets, booths, tables, chairs, and more decorate the busy corner lot. A fence between the restaurant’s parking lot and a neighboring home on Main Street supports trash cans, garbage, pallets, buckets, and scraps of wood.

Nothing appears to move in or out.  Nothing appears to leave.

Local real estate agents complain that prospective buyers immediately note the eyesore during showings.  “Its a real shame, because the buyers will really like a property.  They drive around town, and quickly rule Walkersville out,” stated one local agent who lives in town.

The property receives mention frequently during Walkersville Planning Commission Meetings.  There seems to be little or nothing that can be done at this point.

The phone number for the restaurant has long been out of service. So, we tracked down the owner.  Munir Iskander, owner of the property, lives a block from the restaurant in Walkersville.  Mr. Iskander could not be reached for this afticle.

For a while, the property was listed for sale, but is no longer listed.  The property last sold in 1994 for a little over $60,000.  Before becoming a restaurant, the property was a gas station.

For now, Walkersville must wait and see what will become of this eyesore on the corner.