BOS taking bids on surplus property at Leakeville factory
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The old water tower, which is no longer used by the Town of Leakesville’s water department, and the exterior portions of a commercial dust removal system, are both on the auction block to be dismantled and removed from the old factory property on Main Street. The move is the first part of a plan by county supervisors to hopefully clear the site and make room for new, private development in the county seat.
Staff Photo
County leaders hope to move forward on a long-awaited solution to a decades-old problem
By RUSSELL TURNER
Herald Editor
The old factory building in Leakesville has been a fixture on Main Street for decades. But, the property’s golden years are long gone and it appears the days of ‘kicking the can down the road’ are over as well.
The Greene County Board of Supervisor voted recently to accept bids for the sale and removal of two key items associated with the property, which is the first major move toward demolition of the building and reclaiming the property for future development. A public notice advertising began publishing in this week’s Herald stating that county supervisors are accepting bids for the sale of the water tower that stands next to the building and all exterior portions or parts of a sizeable dust evacuation system that had been installed in the facility during the years when Peavey Electronics made guitars and other musical instruments and electronics at the site.
The winning bidders will have three days to pay the county and 30 days to remove them from the property.
The move by the county leaders is the first significant movement on the property since the departure of Value Line, Inc., a furniture company supervisors evicted from the facility in 2009. Several different plans of action have been started over the years, many of which involved renovating the building for a new purpose. This move by county officials indicates they have moved past any thoughts along those lines and are moving toward taking the property back to bare ground that can be marketed for private development.
“We still haven’t narrowed down how exactly we will proceed, but this is the first step in the process,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Wayburn D. ‘Danny’ Smith said. “Our goal is to get the building removed at a minimal cost to the county and proceed from there.”
“We are working with our engineer to explore our options for how best to approach the removal of the building.”
Several members of the Board of Supervisors have told the Herald they want to see the property back in private hands and on the tax rolls, but also want to make sure there is a plan for the property that is beneficial to the community.
More details on the county’s plans and the sale of the surplus property as they become available.
