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Commission discusses replacing century-old community building, proposes new facility that could double as emergency shelter
Summary
Commissioners heard that the county’s roughly 100-year-old community building is structurally unsound and discussed tearing it down and constructing a new metal building (estimated at $25–$35/sq. ft. for shell costs) that could be outfitted as an emergency warming/cooling shelter; the group agreed to pursue grants and coordinate to minimize displacement during construction.
A county committee member told Houston County commissioners that a community-owned building is “not worth” repairing and recommended demolishing the roughly 100-year-old structure and constructing a new metal building that could also serve as an emergency shelter.
“Last meeting they said it ain’t worth it — we built a new one instead,” the committee member said, describing pervasive termite damage, rotten decking, a leaking roof and bathrooms that have settled at an angle. Commissioners and staff said residents who attended a recent meeting (about 45–50 people, by one account) overwhelmingly favored replacing the building rather than repairing it.
A commissioner who researched metal-building costs said a basic metal shell runs roughly $25 to $35 per square foot and cited an example cost of about $103,000 for a 50-by-60 structure; they noted interior work — kitchens, fixtures and utility connections — would add to the total. Commissioners discussed whether the county could insure the new structure and how to fund it, with grant funding identified as a possible source.
Officials emphasized minimizing disruption to local programming: the group discussed phasing and storage so the community would be displaced for “no more than say 30 days,” though they acknowledged that timeline would require coordination. They also discussed land and access questions: the site is adjacent to the fire station and sits on roughly two acres, with a small wedge at the front that may require a purchase to allow direct access.
Next steps recorded in the session included staff outreach the following Monday to stakeholders and further coordination with residents and county officials about funding options, insurance, and construction phasing. No formal motion or vote on demolition or funding was recorded in the transcript.
The discussion is expected to continue at a future meeting as staff explores grant options, confirms insurance availability and develops a preliminary cost estimate for the full build-out.
