DDA issues June 1 deadline for Granite Hotel

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DDA issues June 1 deadline for Granite Hotel

Posted by

Mike Buffington

in Winder Archives

Wednesday, March 23. 2011

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Whether to tear down the Granite Hotel in downtown Winder was a point of discussion at a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Monday afternoon. Those in support of keeping the building must have a plan in place for restoration with investors and monies on the table by June, or the DDA will recommend to city council that the building be demolished to make room for right-of-ways and ample parking.

The council voted 4 to 1 to recommend the deadline.

Don Toms, city administrator, gave a presentation to the council on the Street Scape project, which is pending on Georgia Department of Transportation for full funding. Toms said the focus for the plan has been widening sidewalks without losing parking, landscape and the actual design of the changes.

Other items of new business on the agenda were:

· The election of new DDA officers: the council voted to retain Mike Rice as chairman, Ronney Massey as vice-chairman and Mace Strickland as treasurer.

· Bob Dixon was added on the committee as a voting member.

· Supporters of a revitalization project for Main Street discussed plans to turn the initiative into a 501c3.

For the full DDA story, see the March 23 issue of the Barrow Journal.

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#1 Susan Trepagnier on 03/30/11 at 09:46 AM [Reply]

This comment should have been with this article, it had absolutely nothing to do with chickens.

Personally, I just can't wait to see a parking lot on the corner. NOT! It's a shame the City cannot or will not do something to save this old building. Shore it up, fix the shell and get it ready for someone to buy.
But when you look at the City of Winder's downtown, it's certainly nothing like Madison, Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Rutledge, Buford, Duluth, Norcross or any of the other cities that surround it. People don't shop in Winder because the city council and the mayor haven't gotten behind the city and made a plan. When there was a good Main Street Program, the city council, DDA and Bob Beck, deceased city administrator, did pretty much everything it could to run the program off.
Anyone ever bother to look at Auburn? It used to be the Barrow County city everyone laughed at - now they are arranging to buy the Hawthorne House, accepting Transportation Grants and they are making that little town a place people will want to be.
Anyone look at Braselton? It's on the move, respecting its past and building for its future. They have a group from Hall County developing a Green Space at Mr. Henry's House.
Anyone even bother to look over the county line at Jefferson? StreetScapes is being worked by the Main Street Program and supported by their Mayor and City Council.
Why? All three towns' Mayor and City Council members had a plan and they've worked that plan with help from their citizens and from their Main Street Programs and their DDAs.
How disappointing that Winder, the town with such great history could not get behind any plan whatsoever. What happened to that StreetScapes project that was approved and wasn't the grant approved? It's been worked on how long? Through how many administrations? It seems someone can't get their act together and do what is right - instead they want to tear down one of the most historic buildings in the state.
Wow, I'm really impressed!

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