The Columbus Historic Preservation Commission voted 6-0 Wednesday to allow Lowndes County to move forward with demolishing the Waters Building.
Demolition on the building, located at 503 Second Ave. N., began on July 21, and abruptly halted the same day after the county learned it needed permission from the Historic Preservation Commission to proceed.
Columbus officials notified the county the day demolition began of the need for the commission’s OK, since the Waters Building sits in the city’s downtown historic district. Caution tape now surrounds the building, which was about 20-percent demolished by the time work stopped.
County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said the county did not know it needed to seek permission from the Historic Preservation Commission to demolish the Waters Building. He said the county would have known had it used the city’s building inspection department. However, Lowndes County used its own department because the Waters Building is county property.
“Our building inspection department did not know this was something we had to check off before we got the building demolition permit,” he said. “We went through the asbestos, all the state of Mississippi things–in fact we went in front of the city council Tuesday night and got them to block the road off so we could get the equipment in and demolish it.
“It’s been in the public arena for months that we were doing this,” Billingsley added, “We just did not know we had to come before this board and get permission because of the district we were located in.”
With the demolition approved, Billingsley said the contractor will likely re-mobilize today and resume demolition on Friday. He said it’s unclear if the delay will affect project costs.
Within the city’s downtown historic district, any buildings more than 50 years old require permission from the Historic Preservation Commission for demolition. Billingsley said the Waters Building was built as a single-floor structure in 1959, and the second floor was added in 1967.
The county purchased the building and accompanying parking across the street last summer for $250,000, and has contracted the demolition project to Columbus-based Burns Dirt Construction for $41,000. Billingsley said the county plans to replace the Waters building with a parking lot for the short term.
“It’s not on any historical registers,” Billingsley said. “It doesn’t have, as far as I know, any historical benefit. In fact, I think it’s an eyesore for that whole block.”
Commission chairman Joseph Boggess read from a statute that said demolition on an application could be stayed for 180 days to allow the commission and applicant time to meet and discuss the process.
However, he said three factors–the fact that the building is already partially demolished, safety concerns, and the fact that Lowndes County supervisors examined renovations options but opted for demolition due to “prohibitive” renovation costs–moved the matter in favor of allowing the demolition to continue.
“I think you could pick any one of those three to support demolition,” he said.
Commission members Carolyn Kaye and Chance Laws requested Lowndes County beautify the parking lot that’s supposed to replace the Waters building.
Billingsley said he believes the county will take care of the property.
“Everything the board of supervisors has touched is first class,” he said. “They’re not going to do first class for 10 or 12 years then quit doing first class. It’s not going to happen.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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