File photo from 2021.
The property of 235 North Lake Avenue has been some type of gas/service station for many years. Many locals remember it being owned by Steve Augustine and known as Augie's Shell. In July of 1988, George and Steven Thaler purchased the property, and the younger generations came to know it as Express Mart. It remained in the Thaler family until a few years ago when it closed. Plans to upgrade the gas station were discussed by the business owner and city at meetings in 2021, but those plans were abandoned. In August 2024, Next Stage Designs 2 LLC, (Lynda Ludwig), purchased the property for $220,000.
According to the "Friends of Price County United Limited," the property is expected to be leveled. The tentative schedule is that the canopy that was over the gas pumps will come down on Friday, December 26, 2025. The building will be demolished on Monday, December 29, 2025.
Some residents are wondering about the gas tanks and if there is contamination, which My Price County will be asking Lynda Ludwig, along with other questions posed by the community. As a partial answer, this gas station was mentioned in the "Phillips Lionite Property, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment" that was completed on November 9, 2023 before Price County United Limited (PCUL) purchased the "Lionite" property on April 1, 2024 for two million dollars. In the report, "Lionite" is referred to as the "subject property."
The document states, "Finding 7: An environmental records search was performed identifying sites within their respective ASTM E 1527-13 search radii of the Property that may represent RECs, HRECs, or de minimis conditions. Three historical/current gasoline stations were located adjacent to and west of the Subject Property. The first gasoline station formerly operated at 235 N. Lake Avenue and BRRTS Case No. 03-51-097044 was opened in 1996 when petroleum contamination was discovered onsite, including free product. Remedial activities occurred starting in 2000, and the case was closed in 2012 with residual soil and groundwater contamination onsite, offsite and in the rights of way. Detections in monitoring wells installed near the Subject Property boundary were below health-based standards as of 2011."
In reference to this gas station, the document continues, "Opinion 7: The former gasoline stations at 235 N. Lake Avenue and 125 S. Lake Avenue have been investigated and/or remediated and contamination appeared limited to the sites and adjoining rights-of-way. Therefore, historical releases of petroleum products at these two gasoline stations are not a REC, CREC, or HREC for the Subject Property."
Updated 12-27-25: The canopy and building got demolished on Friday, December 26, 2025. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, five gasoline tanks are considered "closed/removed," including two unleaded, two diesel, and one leaded. This was done by the previous owners, the Thalers.
