A property next to a boarded up Tim Hortons on Highway 97 in Vernon was expected to be home to a new Tim Hortons franchise, but those plans are now in limbo as the property owner has put the lots up for sale. 

Dan Currie is the owner of the currently empty lot at Highway 97 and 39th Avenue, which is next to the Tim Hortons-owned building that shut down in 2020. 

The boarded up Tim Hortons building has been a topic of heavy discussion among Vernonites, with many considering it an eyesore and wondering when it will be torn down. 

Back when he sold four local Tim Hortons franchises to a Kelowna family in 2023, Currie told The Morning Star that Restaurant Brands International, Tim Hortons' parent company, planned to build a new Tim Hortons on the property he owns next to the old Tim Hortons. 

However, on Thursday he said he listed his property for sale in December as plans to build the new Tim Hortons building are up in the air. 

"It was on the table for a while and now it's off the table. I just put (the property) for sale right now to see if there's any other interest," Currie said.

Tim Hortons' parent company could still acquire the property and build a new franchise, Currie said, but added "nothing's been determined yet. There's still some stuff going on and we're waiting for them to see what they want to do."

In the meantime, Currie has listed his property, a total of four lots, for $1.6 million, and the future of the site will depend on any offers he may get for the property. 

"We're still in discussions (with Tim Hortons), but basically it's still for sale if somebody puts an offer in," Currie said. "I think it depends on what happens, if I get an offer and whether it goes through."

"Nothing's 100 per cent official yet," he added.

Asked if he's been frustrated by the lengthy dealings with Tim Hortons corporate, Currie said "It's a long process when you're dealing with these big companies, that's why it's taken forever."

As for the boarded up building next to the property for sale, Currie said he thinks it's going to get knocked down "soon," though he couldn't say exactly when. 

"We know it's going to get torn down, but we don't really know what's happening there. It's kind of in limbo right now."