The future is uncertain for the nearly two-acre property where the historic Standard Oil fuel depot once stood.

Delta Western began dismantling the decaying infrastructure six weeks ago after 25 years of vacancy. The company does not plan to sell the property at this time but are “keeping their options open,” Delta Western representative Di Do said.

The site, located next to Tlingit Park, “may be more visually pleasing to the community,” once the infrastructure is removed, Do said. Delta Western declined to provide an estimate for how long the work will take.

The Haines Sheldon Museum’s earliest records of the property date back to 1962, but lifetime valley resident Lee Heinmiller said the fuel transfer station could have existed as early as 1939 when the army began burning oil.

In the 1950s, the site was used to transfer oil from barges docked at Port Chilkoot. Diesel, gasoline and heating fuel were hauled to town through pipelines that still exist on the property, Heinmiller said.

Delta Western purchased the property two decades ago and added a gas station. The roofing that once stood over the fuel pump station was kept intact during demolition and moved to another business’ property.

“It’s kind of sad to see the whole building go down,” said Andrew Berry, whose father Dave Berry used to work at the fuel facility. “Many of the old timers would stop in for coffee and donuts and chat with Dave. He had a big stove and people would come in and put their hats and gloves on the stove.”

“It’s just an old bit of Haines,” Berry said.

At Tuesday’s assembly meeting, borough assembly member Debra Schnabel cited the importance of the property to the Portage Cove Trail plans as a place for food trucks or other small businesses to operate.

“I would like to recommend we ask the planning commission to take a look at what the possibilities might be for us to acquire that property, lease that property, trade that property,” Schnabel said.

She said she’d like to see the planning commission take the issue up.

Assembly member Gerry Lapp said he’s not in favor of the borough acquiring the property, but said he would support encouraging Delta Wester to “lease the property to food trucks or maybe some other individual that wants to start some other investment.”

No other assembly members weighed in and no official action was taken.