Joshua Morrison/News
The demolition of 118 E. Chestnut St. got underway Monday. The house was purchased by the Knox County Commissioners in September of 2018. A maintenance building is planned for the site.
MOUNT VERNON — Knox County government plans to build a maintenance department building that will be big enough to have bay doors and house lawn care and snow removal equipment, other tools and maintenance vehicles as well. Its future location will be behind the Knox County Service Center.
But first things first. On a rainy Monday, United Aggregates, under a demolition contract with the county, tore down a three-unit apartment building on East Chestnut Street. At one time, the building had housed a dentist’s office. Its three tenants had been asked to move out late last year.
The apartment building, which had been owned by Jennifer Farmer, is behind the county service center where the maintenance building will be situated in the future. The demolition cost paid to United Aggregates was $14,100.
The Ariel Foundation had purchased the property for the county late last year for $175,000, realizing that in the future the county would make use of the property for public purposes, Knox County Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said Monday. The foundation also was aware that the property, being turned over to the county, would help provide more room for delivery trucks visiting the county Service Center, while also providing potential space for 911 operations.
Currently, Knox County maintenance operations function out of three 20-foot by 12-foot sheds, Bemiller said. One is located where the apartment complex was stationed, behind the service center. Another is located behind the old Central School. The other shed is located behind the Memorial Building. At least one of the sheds is in good enough shape that it could be sold to another public entity in need of a shed, Bemiller said.
Bemiller added there is no current timeline to proceed with plans for designing and bidding out plans for a maintenance building. But it is something the county will be discussing in the future as a definite capital need.
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The Ariel Foundation had purchased the property for the county late last year for $175,000, realizing that in the future the county would make use of the property for public purposes, Knox County Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said Monday. The foundation also was aware that the property, being turned over to the county, would help provide more room for delivery trucks visiting the county Service Center, while also providing potential space for 911 operations.
Currently, Knox County maintenance operations function out of three 20-foot by 12-foot sheds, Bemiller said. One is located where the apartment complex was stationed, behind the service center. Another is located behind the old Central School. The other shed is located behind the Memorial Building. At least one of the sheds is in good enough shape that it could be sold to another public entity in need of a shed, Bemiller said.
Bemiller added there is no current timeline to proceed with plans for designing and bidding out plans for a maintenance building. But it is something the county will be discussing in the future as a definite capital need.
