Asbestos Concerns Put Demolition Of Old Town Owned Building On Hold

August 9, 2011

The demolition of an abandoned building owned by the Town of Century has been put on hold temporarily over asbestos concerns.

Bids were to be opened today to demolish the front, two-story portion of the building on Mayo Street because it is beyond repair. Once the older 6,400 square foot part of the building is gone, town employees were to be used to create a new front for the remaining single-story metal structure.

“After careful consideration, we have determined that an asbestos survey needs to be done prior to opening bids,” Mayor Freddie McCall said Monday. All bids submitted on the project are being returned unopened. A potential new bid date is still to be determined after the asbestos survey is completed.

The white, mostly brick building at 7601 Mayo Street (across from the old hospital) housed doctors’ offices and even a pharmacy and soda fountain years ago. It has been abandoned for several years and is in an obvious state of disrepair with roof and structural problems.

Pictured above: Town of Century will tear down the two story portion of  this building owned by the town on Mayo Street. Pictured below: The interior of the building just inside the front door as seen in October 2008.NorthEscambia.com photos.

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Comments

5 Responses to “Asbestos Concerns Put Demolition Of Old Town Owned Building On Hold”

  1. David Huie Green on August 12th, 2011 3:59 pm

    would you really want your tax money going into repairing abandoned buildings?

    Yes, I know you don’t want it going into rebuilding Afghanistan or Iraq just because we blew a bunch of it up, but that doesn’t mean it’s an either/or situation: either spend money on Afghanistan or spend money on the old pharmacy.

  2. 429SCJ on August 11th, 2011 7:15 am

    Im glad we wrote all that red ink rebuilding Iraq, otherwise we might be restoring historical buildings and infrastructure here in America. That would be terrible.

  3. Allen Stewart on August 10th, 2011 11:12 am

    Kind of sad to see the old “Century Drugstore” have the need of demolition. However, though, the apparent condition of such indicates a condition which is not worthy of being salvaged.
    Just a simply quality of sadness involved within the comments of above due to the aspect that my father, Dr. T.J. Stewart spent the better part of his time in Century within the upper levels of such building.
    Perhaps, though, there is the consideration that “there comes a time.”

    Allen Stewart

  4. no one special on August 9th, 2011 10:41 am

    I wonder if the elevator has been salvaged. The small portion of the old drug store building that protrudes from the rest is where the elevator was installed. It originally came from the Hauss mansion where the James Houston Jones Historical Park now stands. Hope if possible it could be rescued.

  5. 429SCJ on August 9th, 2011 7:31 am

    Some way this building seems so Century. I do not think the town will be the same without it. I bet the areas property values and taxes increase.