FAIRFIELD -- The downtown will get a third convenience store when Russell and Jeffrey Damon build one at the site of the in-town Irving station, at 143 Main Street.

But it was unclear as of late Thursday afternoon what Jack and Judy Teague have planned for the site of the former Jim's Variety store, on the corner of Main Street and Western Avenue. With an offer of $100,000, the Teagues outbid the Damons for the property, which includes the old store and a separate former redemption center.

The Teagues, owners of Teague Distributors, Inc., a Toro dealership at 350 Main St., declined to divulge his plans for the property.

Auctioneer Tom Saturley of Portland took an offer of $25,000 from the Damons to begin the bidding for the Jim's Variety property. The Damons' last offer was $90,000, and once the Teagues upped it to $100,000, the Damons asked for a two-minute time-out.

Once bidding resumed, there was silence.

"All done," Jeffrey Damon said.

Last summer, the state closed Jim's Variety due to nonpayment of taxes. Since then, a sale of the property fell through when the prospective buyer learned of plumbing problems which caused groundwater infiltration into a sump pump. The state Department of Environmental Protection ruled that gas cannot be pumped there. The pumps must be removed at the expense of the new owners.

Damon said it would cost about $250,000 to replace the gas pumps in front of the store, known by its sign as "The Pride of Dogtown." Damon said he did not have a convenience store planned for the location, and was hoping that the Teagues don't, either.

In a business climate that is bleeding convenience stores, meanwhile, the Damons are carefully but steadily expanding.

The brothers await a closing on the Irving gas island, with plans to build a new convenience store at that location.

Joshua Reny, economic and community development planner for the town, said that the Damons understand the potential of the downtown.

"The Damons are great business people and they recognize that just the traffic flow in downtown Fairfield alone is huge," Reny said. "Those are two prime locations."

Reny added that it "would be great" to see the former Jim's Variety occupied.

The Irving filling station abuts the former Northern Mattress Co.

Damon said that the state Attorney General must approve any sale of gas stations, and has recently done so in the case of the Irving site. The closing should take place soon, he said.

Plans call for completion of the new convenience store at the Irving location this summer, Damon said. There is plenty of competition in the downtown, with Big Apple and Cumberland Farms stores.

Al Hodson of Waterville is providing engineering services.

"We're proceeding forward to build a store there," Damon said. "We've got everybody lined up, contractors and everything. We're just waiting for the closing."

Larry Grard -- 861-9239

lgrard@centralmaine.com