News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
McMinnville’s Board of Aldermen will need to decide what the future of the Franklin P. Blue Municipal Building will be.
The core of the building was built in 1916 and held city offices 11 years ago. City Administrator Nolan Ming said he toured the building recently with four aldermen.
Ming said the building has taken water damage, has two holes in the roof and buckled flooring.
“It will take a large amount of money to get done what needs to be done there,” Ming said. “So I guess it would just take the right developer if it were the idea to renovate it or if it’s to demo it, the case could be made for that as well.”
Ming said that during during a planning meeting to set short-term goals for long-term projects, the building was deemed a priority for action.
“It sounds like there’s new interest to actually, finally take some action,” Ming said. “The first step is to just get an appraisal and from that point they will decide what to do from there. Whether to sell it, to demo it, whatever ideas may come up throughout that process.”
Ming said there is a large portion of the community who would prefer to see the building renovated, as a symbol of the city’s past. However, the future of the site will be in the hands of McMinville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
“We are currently working on trying to get an appraisal, that’s it, we’re going to see what the appraisal says,” Ming said. “And the board will try to decide next steps from that point.”
Ming said the city hopes to have information on an appraisal by the April 13 Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting.
