CLARKESVILLE - The Clarkesville City Council heard Thursday night they should consider not rebuilding one of the fire-damaged buildings on the east side of the Square.
City Manager Barbara Kesler told the council and mayor about the change during their monthly work session, providing details and a written project summary of what would be involved.
Kesler also listed the other more costly options that she and the city's consultant, Kirby Glaze of 4PM, ruled out because of the expense or the prospective loss of tax credits.
The building at 1416 Washington Street, former home to Parker Place Antiques and Anthony Dalton's Edward Jones office, needs to be removed, Kesler said. In the process, contractors would pour walls on either side.
The removal of the building would create what Kesler calls an event space, 14.5 feet wide at the front and about 20 feet wide at the back.
By removing the building at 1416 and creating an opening, it would create a transition between the two-story and one-story sections of the Square.
Kesler said it's also possible the entire project could be done at once, rather than in phases.
She noted, however, that by starting the process over work won't be completed on any of the buildings by January as originally planned.
"Hopefully we'll have it all online and ready to use a year from now," Kesler said.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/9/337987/clarkesville-changing-strategy-on-downtown-redevelopment