Commerce could wind up with substantially more off-street parking if a California woman makes good on an offer.
The city learned last week that the owner of the former Oxford Building, located on State Street, wants to give the building to the city.
The woman bought the building years ago in the hope of renovating it for loft apartments, but was never able to arrange the financing for the project. But Mayor Charles L. Hardy Jr. and city manager Clarence Bryant see the building as a potential addition to the adjacent city-owned parking lot.
The offer was made via e-mail to Clark Hill, chairman of the Downtown Development Authority.
Hill revealed that the offer comes with the stipulation that the city use the property “for public purposes.”
The city once owned the building, but it sold it to a potential developer for $125,000. That person sold the site to the current owner.
Hill expressed the opinion that the building would provide “tons of opportunity to get money” for its renovation.
“It creates a unique opportunity for us,” he said.
Hardy and Bryant said the best use of the site is for additional parking, proposing to raze the building.
“I’m not in favor of doing anything but a parking lot with it,” Hardy said.
“You’d have to gut it back to the steel girders to do anything (else) with it,” Bryant agreed.
Hardy noted that vandals have set several fires in the building.
“The floors are too rotten to burn,” he said, but he also added, “I’d sure love to get it back.”
as per Hardy and Bryant? The peole of the City of Commerce should be able to have a vote on what to do with the gifted building. Maybe turn it into a much needed SENIOR CENTER.
What is all of this crap that is written below from him on the web site: Commercega.org
"A City on the Right Track."
Our downtown revitalization program has been quite successful improving the appearance of our downtown business district and has played an important role in attracting new business and professional and cultural interest in our city. As one of 's
Main Street
cities, Commerce provides downtown revitalization within the context of historic preservation. We have an active Business Association which works with our
Main Street
program to promote Commerce with major events throughout the year.
Our streetscape plan included removing power lines from the downtown area, placing street lights throughout the downtown, trees, plantings, brick pavers, planter boxes, waste receptacles and benches. The difference these improvements have made has encouraged local merchants to spruce up their individual buildings accordingly.
When the Postal service decided to build a new post office facility away from the downtown, we worked hard to put together a package for them that would keep the facility downtown. The City purchased the old post office building for our new city hall and we have renovated this historic building and made it the center for all city operations. We then renovated the old city hall building. This renovated facility now houses the Georgia Agri-Business Council.
Another historic building that was rescued by the City is our Civic Center . Vanity Fair bought the Blue Bell building and closed it after a year. They gave the city the building and by using inmate labor the city has restored it. The Civic Center hosts more than 600 events annually.
We are also proud of our Cultural Center . When the Presbyterian Church left their historic building downtown to build a new church, the city acquired the building, restored it, and it is now maintained by the Downtown Development Authority. It hosts recitals, band concerts, pageants and provides a venue for the performing arts. A local theater group was formed and it produces four to six plays and musicals a year.
These are just a few of our accomplishments of which we are proud and we hope that you will soon visit Commerce and see just what our city has to offer. You will find our community to be warm and friendly. Again, we welcome you to Commerce's website and hope that you will want to come soon and tour some of our revitalization projects and see why we are known as the "City on the Right Track."
Sincerely,
Charles L. Hardy, Jr.
Mayor