PRINCETON—In 1893, a devouring blaze ravaged the west side of the Princeton square. Out of the ashes, the three-story Devin Block Building was built in 1894. Ironically, in the 1950s, fire again damaged the building engaged by the G.C. Murphy Company.
It was diminished to a two story building, but became home to the DeMoss Family Drug Store. A century after it was built, it was home to a health care company until it sat empty, devoid of purpose. That is, until the Gibson County Economic Development Corp. came along and bought the building in 2009.
Although the building is camouflaged in reconstruction work that has been evolving, the development corporation has been working in offices inside its hull.
Gibson County Economic Development Corporation President Todd Mosby is anticipating the future uses of the building—what will be “The Business Center.”
The building, when including its vast basement, is 18,000 square feet.
“I’m in love with the building,” Mosby said.
Because of Stellar Communities’ redesign and contractor issues there were delays, otherwise they would’ve completed the front facade two years ago.
When it comes to reconstruction, “you never realize what you’re going to get into,” Mosby said, “it takes time to get all this into place.”
The Gibson County Economic Development is funding all the work on the facade, but the building’s north wall is getting $100,000 worth of Stellar Communities funding. “We’re just thrilled that we’re a part of (Stellar),” Mosby said
The blue wall will eventually be sandblasted so all the paint will come off, he said.
Some of the original round columns have been lost and are being restored on the front of the building. Several brick columns are wrapped with cheap linoleum and duck tape so they won’t get scratched.
“When we saw the circular brick on the column we knew we would have to try to save that,” Mosby said.
ECI Construction out of Wadesville has been subcontracted to do the bricklaying—a surprisingly time consuming task.
“We didn’t want to be one of those owners who just added to the building,” he said, explaining they want to “give the community the respect” of preserving a historical building.
“We don’t have to settle,” Mosby said. “Too often times we have leaders that settle.”
Mosby said construction is intended to be complete by the end of 2017.
“Those are all based on our funding levels,” he emphasized, “we want to complete the reconstruction as soon as possible.”
Inside, a room that used to be shuttered with plywood is evolving into a conference room with natural light. The facility’s original high, decorative ceiling is being repaired.
Meetings have already been held in what will become a conference room. New restrooms will be completed; the center is also being kept handicapped accessible as required by law.
Another room with a huge map of the Gibson County area, Mosby calls a “business hub” where costly office equipment businesses need can be shared.
After the building’s completion, a 50 person computer lab will be free to businesses of all types and sizes to use.
“We wanted to make sure that if a manufacturer needs a space to train, we have it available for no cost.”
“After all, it will be called ‘The Business Center,’” Mosby said. The goal is to grow businesses and enrich the community, he said.
“Our intent is to be as supportive as we can,” Mosby said.
He hopes people see the development as an asset not an adversary “considering all the work we do that shapes the county...why not let the lead economic development organizations be the beneficiary of the gain?”
What’s currently a kitchenette will become a hallway. Walls will be cut back. A hallway dedicated to what Mosby calls “the incubator” will be for helping to grow local businesses that are just starting out.
The building can also be an opportunity for businesses across the state, he said.
“Our corporation will be funding the development and the computers so the community can benefit from that,” he said.
“People need a place to hunker down,” he said, “their job will be made easier.”
And when there’s a need for a private meeting space, it will be provided, he said. Another wall will be removed for teleconferencing.
“This will be available for not-for-profits,” he said.
In the basement (“It would make a good spookhouse,” Mosby jokes) are Christmas trees he’s stored away for the future. He’s also buying up art “so it can open the way it should.”
Every six feet or so, there used to be shelving from the drug store. That’s all been cleaned out.
“Incoming tenants will be able to have a place to store stuff,” he said, “it won’t just be an office.”
Currently two-thirds of the basement’s storage space is used by the county. Dusty record books are locked away in a separate room. Discoveries of old drug store items like boric acid and glass bottles are being saved for a future in-house museum that will commemorate the history of the building, he said.
“We’ve also spent the first couple of years cleaning it out,” he said. “There were heating systems from the 1990s, thick steampipes the size of a softball.”
The economic development will be housed on the second story—that’s where Mosby’s future new office will be, too.
When all of this is complete, Mosby says it will be time to work on another goal: the crown jewel of The Business Center, a rooftop garden. But they have to complete the crown first.
Standing on the roof, Mosby pointed to a banner hanging across the square. “I love that slogan—’A world class community,’” he said.
“To position ourselves as a world class community we can act world class, too.”