9/5/2023 0 Comments Bert rogers aim bankThis included shots of rotting flooring, damaged ceilings, crumbling stairs and mold outbreaks, with standing water documented throughout. “(The owner) has had opportunity after opportunity and it just keeps getting worse,” Commissioner Koch observed.Ī series of photos showing other water damage that has stemmed from roof leakage was presented by the codes officer at the meeting. Numerous violations have been spelled out to King’s Corners, LLC and multiple letters sent by the city government, Cawley added, which Morris says have produced “very, very” slow response. “The building has been and remains in a state of disrepair.” “There seems to be little to no effort by the owner to stabilize or improve these conditions,” Mayor Jon Cawley said. Morris said an elderly lady who has expressed an affinity for the structure is somehow part of the ownership chain, but that admiration has not led to the site being maintained. Similar to Koozies, the old bank building is owned by an out-of-town entity, in its case King’s Corners, LLC, based in Florida. Damage put at $5,000 has occurred to materials and merchandise there as a result, according to meeting discussion. “Right now what we’re asking for is to make a quick fix,” Morris said before that action.Īlong with the falling glass threat, the flow of water into the neighboring site of a business, Mayberry Embroidery, is deemed a priority. Main, the commissioners did vote unanimously to pursue steps to alleviate the pressing concerns. The Koozies building, in a less-trafficked area, was demolished in September after years of inactivity by its out-of-town ownership group that neglected numerous city appeals to correct the situation.Īlthough there was no talk Thursday night about razing the facility at 201 N. “This is sort of like the Koozies building,” Commissioner Tom Koch said of what once existed at the corner of Franklin and South streets in relation to the old bank structure, “except it’s closer to Main Street.” “Once the sash fails, the glass has no stop.”ĭue to that potential, the Mount Airy Police Department has considered closing Franklin Street at that location, it was noted.ĭuring Thursday’s meeting, a comparison between the former bank and another structure further down Franklin Street deemed a major safety hazard for years seemed inevitable. “The sashes have rotted out of those windows,” Morris explained regarding the structures holding them in place. “A good strong wind could put that glass out in the middle of the street and endanger our citizens,” said the city’s building codes enforcement officer, Chuck Morris, in detailing problems Thursday night during a Mount Airy Board of Commissioners meeting. Not only is its internal structural integrity being compromised by roof leakage, cracked exterior windows on the Franklin Street side of the building pose external hazards to passersby which officials say is an everyday risk.Ĭracks in the plate glass are what first brought the issue to municipal attention. A structure long considered a fine exponent of the fabled white Mount Airy granite it was made from stands in major disrepair. Now this century-old, former center of commerce sits vacant and has been for some time. Many longtime local residents also will recall that Northwestern Bank later occupied the spot for many years, which occurred after Surry County Loan and Trust merged with Northwestern in 1961. The building served as the bank’s headquarters until 1934, when it became the site of Surry County Loan and Trust Co. The Bank of Mount Airy originally was located there, with that name etched in granite above the front entrance and still visible. The three-story building that towers over the Franklin-Main corner was constructed in 1923, according to Mount Airy Historic District records. Main St., which housed major financial institutions of this city in its heyday. The city of Mount Airy has another problem building on its hands, the former site of a bank on the corner of North Main and Franklin streets in the heart of the central business district.Ĭracked windows that endanger the public and a flow of rainwater damaging neighboring property have emerged as immediate concerns for the structure at 201 N. Cracked glass in outside windows fronting Franklin Street look as if it might fall onto passersby at any time, which the city’s codes enforcement officer says could occur with “a good strong wind.”ĭeteriorating stairs and other structures inside the old bank building have resulted from water entering from a worn-out roof.
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