MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (WVLT) – City officials held a meeting Wednesday to discuss the future of the Parks-Belk building in Morristown after it was destroyed by a fire just after the new year.
City officials got a report from an engineer that said the building was beyond repair and needed to be demolished for public safety.
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North Cumberland and West Main Streets were closed to the public since the fire happened and will remain closed until the building is demolished.
The company that owns the building, Morristown Corner Development, set a Friday deadline for bids on the demolition work and hoped to pick a contract the following week.
“It is anticipated that the initial phase to remove the hazardous structure should take approximately one week,” officials said. “Once the Building Department determines that it is safe to reopen the streets, vehicular and pedestrian traffic can be restored.”
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The building was valued at over $250,000 and was part of a plan to renovate much of downtown Morristown.
The owner said he still planned to rebuild and his architect presented a plan for the new building at Wednesday’s meeting.
“We will continue to work with Morristown Corner Development’s team to assure that they receive the support they need to keep the project moving forward, and that the shared vision for Main Street is continued,” city officials said.
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