The Old Main Street School

[dave]

The cost of getting the Old Main St. School up to code seems to keep going up. There is an effort to raise funds to renovate the building, which has been determined by the city's insurnace carrier to be unsafe for use. Besides the damage caused by years of decay and water from a leaky roof, the electrical system is in such bad shape as to be considered a fire hazard if used. Currently, the Canebrake players, the Girl Scouts & Marengo Co Junior Miss are not allowed to return until the immediate dangers are corrected. The City Council voted in favor of allowing SSP to continue using the facility despite the insurance companies warning.

The question is: What should be done with the Old School?

[Brian]

I say, if they are going to spend the money, wipe it and build a state of the art theatre with better seating, facilities, sound system, ect. As a school, Its days are long gone, and Demopolis could use a decent public auditorium for putting on shows.

[dave]

There are 3 organizations currently working together to raise funds for the school: The Two Rivers Art Council, the Canebrake Players, and the Marengo County Historical Society. They've created a new organization called "The Friends of the Old School".

Demopolis does need a public facility suitable for what the Old School was being used for. The Civic Center isn't big enough for anything more than small dances and banquets. (If anyone has gone to a COTR Pageant there recently, you know what I'm talking about). The High School has a very nice auditorium, but it doesn;t seem to be utilized as much except for school-sponsored functions.

I think what needs to happen, is use what money you have already and patch it up. Keep it open for what it was being used for already, and continue to apply for grants to restore the building if that's the ultamate goal. The city simply can't afford to allocate more funds to the school renovation.

Of course if you're raising money for a building in Demopolis, there's plans for a new youth center on the table waiting on funds.

[Jeff]

I really don't see much of a point in using tax money for an endless road of renovation for the building. From a historical standpoint the building should definitly stay. But, The money to fix the building needs to come primarily from money the organizations wanting the building. If it is indeed considered a historical marker, can't the city get money from the state or fed for that type of work as well??

[dave]

I'm not sure what a building needs to gain historical significance. Gaineswood is recognized nationally..Bluff Hall was taken over by the marengo historical society..The phone lines coming to my house are the same lines used by Alexander Graham Bell when he invented the telephone, yet nothing is being done to preserve them.

[Scott]

I was riding through the fair town of Demopolis yesterday when i saw several buildings in the downtown area that could use the money for renovation. The firestation near city hall looks horrible and could use a little cash for a paint job at the very least. What about the city worry about buildings that can still be brought of to snuff with a miniuim amount of money and cost to the tax payer.

[wayleehan]

I think it's a very nice building and would be very useful for much more than it was being used for before it was deemed unsafe. I think they should go ahead and put up the money to renovate and possibly rent out some of the space to pay for the renovations!?