News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Old Sparta Hardware Store on Bockman Way demolished around 10:00pm Tuesday night and roads are reopened.
Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery said the property owner ended up taking down the building. The city had also bid out the project due to a miscommunication with the owner, but Lowery said this turned out to be the best-case scenario.
“For the residents and, really, the business people that were around there that couldn’t get to a certain business or two or had a little trouble getting to it or had to circle around,” Lowery said. “Yes, with the road opened back up and with the activities coming up this summer, some concerts and things like that we have on the square, it’s just a much better situation.”
Lowery said contractors were efficient and professional, providing barriers around streetlights and surrounding businesses that prevented them from being damaged by the wreckage. He said he is glad to have the eyesore cleaned up.
He said the demolition took between 90 minutes and an hour.
“It was almost flawless,” Lowery said. “There was very little damage. We lost a tree when the building collapsed that was in front of the building, but that’s okay. That’s replaceable.”
He said the he does not know what might take the place of the fallen structure, but he expects the city to communicate with the owner moving forward to learn what might come to that corner of Downtown Sparta next.
