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George 鈥淒on鈥� Letson loved classic cars, and many people watched him work in his shop at 8513 N. Syracuse St. in St. Johns.

鈥淗e restored cars, and in Oregon the people in the car clubs always referred to him as Mr. Packard because that was his specialty,鈥� said Ruth Ridgeway, the trustee of Letson’s estate. 鈥淗e had beautiful cars. When he was there working, if anyone saw the door was open, they knew they could stop and chat, and he just loved that.鈥�

Letson restored hundreds of automobiles before he died in 2010. One, a 1934 Packard Coupe, was sold to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for more than $100,000. An Australian bought a 1926 Packard limousine and a Belgian purchased a 25-person bus.

For more than three decades the 4,200-square-foot garage has been a hub for car enthusiasts as well as something of a community landmark. Now, it’s one of Letson’s final possessions left to be sold; Ridgeway said it’s a bittersweet moment for the family.

鈥淚t’s kind of an emotional thing for the family to let it go because their grandfather had it for years and then (Don) had it, but it’s a wonderful old building and so we’re hoping to find someone that really likes it,鈥� Ridgeway said.

The building’s roots date back to 1927 and Ridgeway said it first served a dairy business of some sort. In the 1950s, Letson’s father, Mark Letson, bought the building and opened a mechanic shop. Ridgeway said Mark Letson was well-known in the community, and years after he retired, people asked him to repair their cars.

When Mark Letson died in the 1970s, his son inherited the building. After graduating from Benson High School, George Letson joined the Navy during World War II and worked in an engine shop and taught diesel repair.

He then went to work for White Motor Co., and later Phillips Petroleum. In his free time, Letson hosted classic car gatherings at his garage.

The building is now for sale, at a listed price of $365,000. Will Wright of Wright Commercial LLC said it could be ideal for many businesses.

鈥淚t could be a continuation of a garage or it could be a brewpub or an office for an architect,鈥� he said.

The commercially zoned property is a block away from downtown St. Johns. The interior is just a shell, but Wright said old-growth timbers that support the roof could be sandblasted and exposed to add character.

The building was constructed via a poured-in-place concrete system in which the wood forms that made the walls were later used as the boards for the ceiling. Wright said the stains from the wet concrete are visible.

A change of use would likely trigger a seismic upgrade and Wright said that could cost $30,000 to $60,000. But the garage is a stone’s throw from a planned 165-unit apartment project; construction is slated to start next May.

The building, however, remains tied to the memory of George Letson.

鈥淥ver the years he had hundreds and hundreds of cars that he would buy and restore and sell,鈥� Ridgeway said. 鈥淗e loved the buying and selling as much as anything. He was an interesting person, a very nice man and people always talked highly of him and still miss him.鈥�

Block by Block is a weekly look at commercial real estate around Portland. Send suggestions for properties to [email protected].