Sparta’s South Church Street Faces Extended Closure

Sparta Mayor Jerry Lowery said South Church Street is expected to remain closed for “awhile” as the city works to clear debris from the crumbling Old Sparta Hardware Store.

Brick from the back corner of the building tumbled onto the street Monday night. As of Thursday, the street remained covered in rubble. Lowery said demolition of the rest of the building is expected at some point, but the timeline is still unclear.

Lowery said the city is working closely with the property owner, who he said has been extremely helpful throughout this process. He said he appreciates the professionalism of all city departments, citing that police, fire, electric, and more had representatives on the scene as the building began to fall, working to prevent damage to other structures.