A fundraiser to save the Blue Ridge Depot?
This was just one of the ideas in last Friday’s emergency meeting concerning the big problem with the Depot’s foundation.
Blue Ridge City employees uncovered the depot foundation last week to see what repairs were needed to complete the City’s Streetscape project.
What they uncovered was major foundation problems including rot and termites. Joy Still told the city council the foundation “needs a lot of attention, a lot more then the contract allow for in the grant”. The city received a grant for $250,000 and Blue Ridge has to match the grant with $62,000.
The repairs for the rot and termite problem will far exceed the grant and city matching funds. Mayor Donna Whitener asked Still if the railroad could help with the cost, to which Still replied she did not think so because the depot belonged to the city.
The city council approved a motion to get several local bids for the repairs so they could make a decision. When the bids are in the City will have to decide what direction they plan to go to fund the repairs based on the cost. Below is a video where the City Council discusses many options – the slideshow depicts the damages.