City to buy Anderson Hotel site for $100,000 and move to demolish building, council approves resolution

The Anderson City Council voted unanimously to authorize a resolution to enter a contract to purchase the Anderson Hotel property across from City Hall for a land value of $100,000 and to proceed with demolition and stabilization work, city staff said.

Andrew Strickland briefed council on the proposal and called it a “bittersweet” opportunity: the building is historic but has deteriorated to a point where redevelopment has proved infeasible, he said. “Anytime we demolish the historic building downtown … it kind of tugs on your heartstrings,” Strickland said, noting that multiple developers and incentives over the years had not produced a feasible redevelopment. The city’s recommendation is to acquire the property, demolish the structure and shore the foundation walls along Main Street and adjacent buildings until a new development can be assembled.

Council members acknowledged the building’s local history — one councilor noted family connections to past hotel operations — but said the site’s condition and the prolonged vacancy limit reuse options. The city said it has a demolition estimate in hand and will secure the additional required quotes now that the city will be the party to oversee demolition. Staff also said they have consulted a structural engineer and performed a recent site inspection to plan shoring and avoid damage to neighboring properties.

What happens next: staff said they will obtain required demolition quotes, complete the shoring plan with a structural engineer, secure permits and proceed with demolition and site stabilization. The council asked staff to move quickly so the site is stabilized and available for future redevelopment planning.