City hall open for business

Jonathan Herrmann news-herald.net

Friday was move-in day for the city of Loudon and Loudon Utilities Board as employees can officially call the new municipal building on Highway 72 home.

Renovations began late last year after LUB purchased the former UT medical facility, along with the former bank building next door, in July 2018 for about $1.9 million.

“The original concept (about 15 years ago) was we were going to build a new city hall,” Don Campbell, LUB board chairman, said. “The idea at that time was we would go down there where the courthouse is trying to get now and build a city hall right there. During that particular time, monies weren’t available and so nobody wanted to bite the bullet and say, ‘Let’s go do that.’

“Then as things escalated and changed, then the Hutch property became a reality,” he added. “What we wanted to do then was go over to the old Bacon building, tear it down and put the new building right there. … They had sketches and everything drew up to sit right there, but they wouldn’t sell us that side of the road. That’s when they wanted to see it all or nothing. … This was even back before Lynn (Mills) passed away. It started looking a little good a time or two but then again it just fell to pieces and it never happened.”

The situation changed when Ty Ross, city and utilities manager, brought forward the idea of purchasing the empty properties on Highway 72 for use as a new city hall and customer service center.

“You see the buildings empty and dark and think maybe something will go in there,” Jeff Harris, mayor, said. “I never had the thought of city hall and the utilities going here.”

Travis Gray, codes enforcement officer, was able to put together a mock-up of what the interior of the UT building could become, and that vision helped push along the project. Gray was recognized for his contributions during a May 20 meeting of Loudon City Council.

“What he drew up actually is very close to what we got,” Harris said. “He put that in visual form so everybody could see it. I think that really helped people buy into it because they could see a visual of what it could be.”

Campbell and Harris believe the work has exceeded expectations.

“That building was so old and so dilapidated and so behind its time,” Campbell said of the former city hall. “… Nobody knew it was there. If you didn’t have business at city hall or didn’t have to pay a utility bill or something that building was never known. This is going to be known. People are going to drive by here and they’ll see those name tags out there … and that’s something they can be proud of.”

Harris encourages the city to make use of the new building. Council chambers will provide room for larger crowds and new technology allows for better sharing of information from both sides, he said. The meeting chambers can be used by the public for large meetings, which is something the city could not provide before.

“Another thing here we have that we didn’t have down there is a more secure building,” Harris said. “… I’m sure that makes the employees feel a little bit better.”

With move-in day complete, focus shifts toward another improvement as LUB prepares to accept bids for demolition on the Hutch property.

Campbell believes once demolition is complete it will be the first time any living residents have seen the waterfront property without structures standing on it.

Along with possible developments on the Hutch property, Harris is excited to see the potential of the downtown area should Loudon County Commission choose to locate the new courthouse annex there.

“The next couple of years, 2-3 years, I think you’re going to see drastic changes in the landscape of Loudon for the good,” he said.