Gatto's eyes former Brackenridge fire hall for storage facility

A former fire hall along Morgan Street in Brackenridge could become a storage facility for Gatto’s Cycle Shop.

Owner George Gatto hopes to purchase the building at 922 Morgan St. to store cars. He said a boat also would be kept there in the winter.

“We don’t have room for cars in the buildings we own in Tarentum,” Gatto said. “When we do have room, they are buried behind motorcycles and ATVs, so they are hard to access.”

In order to pave the way for the purchase, the company went before the Brackenridge Zoning Board, which approved a rezoning request Wednesday, according to Mayor Lindsay Fraser.

Because it formerly housed a fire hall, had been zoned municipal but sits in a residential district.

Gatto owns the cycle shop in the old YMCA building along East Seventh Avenue in Tarentum. He also owns several other buildings in Tarentum that are used for offices, garage space and storage.

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He said no business would be conducted from his potential site in Brackenridge.

Interviewed Tuesday, Gatto said he understands people are curious about his intentions and the number of cars that might take up parking spots on the street.

“If I lived there, I would be concerned about the same thing,” he said.

“No business will be conducted there, and we do not plan to load the area around the building with vehicles. A few personal cars and a personal boat will be stored there.”

Gatto said if the deal is approved, he plans to repair or replace the roof and add a security system with cameras.