Duke Behnke: Watchdog Q&A
Duke Behnke Watchdog Q&A promo video
Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
Reader question: Is the Village of Fox Crossing doing anything to encourage improvements to the BP gas station at the corner of Prospect Avenue and American Drive? It has been abandoned for over a year and is such an eyesore.
Answer: Fox Crossing police asked the property owner, Hardeep Arora of Arora Investments LLC, to cut the grass and weeds at the closed BB Convenience Center at 2675 American Drive. Officers also requested that debris from a former homeless encampment in a wooded area on the property be removed.
Neither ordinance violation was corrected, so police recently issued citations for failing to maintain the property.
“They left a big mess down there,” Lt. Jason Feucht said of the former encampment. “There’s a significant amount of tents and iceboxes and coolers and bike parts and pallets. There’s just stuff everywhere.”
Arora ultimately is responsible for maintaining the property, regardless of who left the materials on the site. The fine for unsightly debris is $237.
The fine for long grass and weeds is $250. If the village hires a contractor to mow the grass, the property owner is charged for that service, in addition to the fine.
Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions
Village Manager Jeff Sturgell said Arora claimed as recently as a few weeks ago that he would secure and make improvements to the building.
“He hasn’t done it yet,” Sturgell said.
Police do security checks on the property at Arora’s request and have found evidence that people have been inside the building.
“This is something we are keeping our eye on, for sure,” Sturgell said. “It is unfortunate. It’s one of our gateways into the community, and here we have this closed-down gas station, but at this point, there’s not a whole lot we really can do other than maintain the security and make sure it’s safe.”
The liquor license for the property expired June 30, 2024, and was not renewed by the village.
Property records show Arora Investments also owns the closed convenience center at 1717 W. College Ave. in Appleton.
The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions listed Arora Investments as delinquent five times since 2017, including as recent as Jan. 1, 2025, but the company was restored to good standing on Jan. 31, 2025.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue has filed 15 delinquent tax warrants against Hardeep Arora since March 15, 2024. The warrants seek nearly $1.5 million in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties, according to online court records.
Arora has been involved in property concerns previously. The Town of Grand Chute identified him as owner/operator of the Roadway Inn at 210 N. Westhill Blvd. in May 2023, when the town revoked the motel’s license following complaints of illegal drug activity, prostitution, sexual assault and code violations at the property.
Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.