Change is in the works for downtown Baldwin.
Recently, city leaders voted to purchase a new city hall on 441 Bypass, freeing up the current building on Airport Road.
"The city purchased the former South State Bank building, which was the Habersham Bank building years ago," says Mayor Jerry Neace says. "We did purchase it for just under $525,000. We are excited that we will be moving our city hall there. We have to do some renovations."
Those renovations include replacing the roof due to a small leak. Neace says city leaders opted to replace the entire roof so they won't have to worry about leaks going forward.
"We'll move our voting precinct to that location," Neace says.
Offices located at the current city hall on Airport Road will move to the new location on 441 Bypass.
"It will also open up the opportunity for people to pay their water bills or taxes and so forth at a drive-up window and not have to worry about inclement weather," Neace says.
Once city hall relocates, probably early in 2016, work will begin to clean up downtown.
"We're unfortunately going to have to tear down some old, historic buildings due to the fact that the when the city purchased them they were already in disrepair due to neglect and poor maintenance," Neace says.
"Where the former Wilbanks Garage is located, that is going to become a farmers market and an open air-type facility," Neace says. "We're going to renovate the very old - that was built in 1940 - city hall for storage and hopefully public restrooms. That way we can have events, not only for the farmers market but events at that location as well."
The city purchased the roughly 12,000-square-foot former Baldwin General Store, located on Airport Road at the corner of Willingham Avenue, about two years ago for $1.
"We also hope to have the former Baldwin General Store, the current city hall and the house next door torn down so we can plan for future economic development - maybe get some small businesses in there and get that area built back up," Neace says.
He adds the city has a concept that was done by the Habersham Archway Partnership about 18 months ago for the block containing the former Baldwin General Store, current Baldwin City Hall and the house next door.
"We're excited to move forward with that endeavor," Neace says.
