Local taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $729,000, if the Winder City Council votes March 9 to proceed with an application for federal funding to restore the historic Granite Hotel downtown.
But after hearing the Winder City Council on Monday night express doubts about the size of the required commitment, two local preservationists at a subsequent public hearing pledged to help the city meet the financial commitment.
Winder resident Gwen Hill told the council that while the Barrow County Historical Society has existed for many years, a new group has been formed to focus on preserving historical structures downtown.
The Barrow Preservation Society is awaiting approval of its non-profit status and in the meantime is searching for other grants to obtain the project funding, she said.
“We are actively looking around at different grants available for preservation properties like this and want the city to know, you won’t be on the hook for all of that $729,000. We feel like we can come up with some substantial money and really want to work with the city on this.”
Added another member of the new group, Helen Person: “The Barrow Preservation Society is very excited about the possibility of coming to the table to help with this.
She said the preservation society would have access to funding from private foundations.
“Together, we should be able to come up with an awful lot of money for this.”
City administrator Bob Beck told the council that the city already has invested $526,000 in the site, about $100,000 of it on scrapped original plans to raze it for construction of a parking lot.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs already has earmarked another $500,000 in federal funding for the blighted building, which is owned by the Winder Downtown Development Authority.
The $1.2 million would enable the city to refurbish the hotel’s exterior shell, including windows, doors, masonry and the roof, and completely restore the first floor of the building, prepare the second floor for further development by a private investor, and add an elevator and public restrooms in the lobby.
Once the project is complete, the first floor could be leased, with the lease payments going back into a revolving loan fund that the city could use to redevelop other buildings, according to Beck.
Beck strongly endorsed the project.
“It is the largest granite building locally quarried still standing in the state of Georgia,” he said. “It could become a truly magnificent facility.”
Noting the city also is planning streetscape improvements downtown, Beck said “nothing could improve downtown more than the renovation of the Granite Hotel.”
But he added that if the city cannot raise the local match, the federal funding would be returned.
As for all this "beautiful downtown Winder" garbage that's going on, STOP IT! It's pouring money down a rat hole! Nobody cares about a downtown as shoddy and unworkable as what we have.
Real progress would be to bulldoze one side of it and add 2 more lanes of traffic!
People are spending money hand over fist, and I have new for you! This is NOT a Recession friends, THIS IS A DEPRESSION. We've only had the first round...the bounce. We are in the eye of the hurricane and part 2 is to follow very soon and will be worse than part 1!
Mark My Words
Why not use to the money to PROPERLY pave Broad St. The ruts are so deep it's almost dangerous to drive on. And I did say PROPERLY. Everytime in the last 20 years it gets paved you wait 6 months then the ruts are back.
Having thought further....
Why is it that the Winder local government is, and has been in "business"?
Government is for the purpose of providing basic civil services like police, fire, garbage, water treatment and the like.
No part of normal city government functions include commercial speculation and development of private property, historical (lol) or not. These are public funds... our tax money being spent on someone's frivolous ideas and pretend innovations.
Stop spending my money on this crap and get back to basics!
Mark My Words
No thru trucks? Available parking?
Just some ideas to consider...
The granite hotel is a terrible waste of money! $500,000 was the amount budgeted to restore it... That money has been spent and brought it to its present condition. It will cost 4x that amount just to get it habitable. That location is IDEAL for additional parking and access to the local restaurants such as Po Boys BBQ, Little Italy, and Gi Gi's, as well as the little shops and boutiques in downtown.
I don't know how much longer these little restaurants and local shops can stay in business if we continue down the current path.
It occurred to me the other day that the location of the granite hotel and the alleyway behind could be turned into parking and greenspace that would positively impact the growth and re-development of downtown.
This would be SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper than resurecting a building for which there will be no practical use for. Just my thoughts.