Williamson County approves $150,000 for asbestos removal at Fleming Hall after preservation plea

Mary Pierce, speaking for the Heritage Foundation, told the Williamson County Commission that a newly received engineering report concluded “the building could be restored, for the same amount of money as it would take to tear it down and build a new building,” and urged the county to pursue preservation rather than demolition.

On a related vote, the commission unanimously approved Resolution 50821 authorizing up to $150,000 from capital project funds to remove asbestos from Fleming Hall, the old Battle Ground Academy building, a step County Commissioner Green said is required “prior to taking any action at all on that building.” The resolution passed on a recorded vote of 23-0.

The asbestos appropriation followed public comment and staff responses. Pierce said she secured a $1,500 grant from the National Trust and a local match and reported that an engineer and local contractor had pledged assistance, with one contractor offering to shore up a broken beam pro bono. Commissioner Green explained the appropriation covers removal only and does not resolve long-term reuse or renovation plans.

The commission’s action makes funds available to abate hazardous materials so the county can consider follow-up options, including restoration, reuse for county office space, or other outcomes. Officials on the record said the asbestos work must be completed before any further work or formal policy decisions about Fleming Hall are made.

Next steps: staff will oversee the asbestos abatement procurement and report back to the commission. Any decisions about restoration, sale, or demolition would require subsequent action by the board.