Canton Approves Agreement to Sell Historic Buildings

Sign up for the Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter!

---

Downtown Canton could soon see a transformation designed to bring in more activity into the central business district.

That’s because the Canton City Council at its called meeting approved a sale agreement with HIP Acquisitions LLC to sell the former Canton cotton mill offices and Canton Grammar School, known as the former Cherokee County School Board’s Buildings A and B, respectively.

According to the agreement, the city would sell both buildings and the land for $600,000. The agreement was approved by the Canton Downtown Development Authority before the Council approved the measure.

The approval was met with applause and cheers from the audience and Council members. A considerable number of stakeholders, residents and DDA members came to watch the Council take action, which it did upon returning from executive session.

Council member Hooky Huffman was not present at the Council’s meeting while DDA Chairwoman Wanda Roach was also absent from that body’s called meeting.

Atlanta Communities Realtor Randy Saxon, who spoke on behalf of Harris -- who was not at Friday’s meeting, -- outlined the developer’s plans for the project.

Those plans call for 125 public parking spaces, in addition to parking for the new businesses. The buildings would have three suites on the lower floor for retail and six office suites would be situated on the second floor. Another 20,000-square-foot building would be added to the site for more retail space, as demand increases. That building, Saxon said, is designated to have a parking deck underneath its structure.

The project would encompass a total of 45,000-square-feet of retail space, which Saxon said is a “huge undertaking and a real spark for the redevelopment of Canton.”

Saxon told Council members and the audience he was honored to play a small role in helping save the two historic buildings, the same facilities his mother played a larger role in advocating for.

“Our team is extremely grateful for vision of mayor and City Council to make this redevelopment a reality,” he added, later stating he is excited about this plan to move Canton forward.

The city of Canton acquired the property earlier this year from the Cherokee County School Board in an effort to save the buildings, one of which was being used by the district as office space for central office staff.

This land swap deal approved earlier this year with the Cherokee County School Board included the city swapping 19.78 acres of land located along Bluffs Parkway in exchange for the property that’s home to the historic buildings.

Under that deal, Canton would retain roughly 4.19 acres that would be used as the future site for a fire station. Additionally, the school district would construct a shared access drive to be used by the city in relation to the fire station as well as the district for its operations.

The agreement was approved by both Canton and the school board as part of the city’s desire to save both buildings, which were previously recommended for demolition by Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo to accommodate a new administrative complex for the school system.

Building B was renovated more than 30 years ago for office use with no preservation of historic details and was closed six years ago due to structural, safety and health concerns, the school district has previously said.

The basement level of the two-floor Building A was closed shortly after due to similar concerns.

RELATED

• Canton Approves Agreement To Help Sell Historic Buildings
• Canton Approves Proposal To Exchange Property With School Board
• Petition Created To Save Historic Canton Buildings
• School Board Postpones Demolition of Historic Buildings
• Merchants To Canton: Encourage School Board To Remain Downtown
• Petruzielo: Replace Former Canton Mill Office, Grammar School Buildings

In their meetings with Harris, Saxon noted the developer was “taken” by the beauty of both buildings and downtown Canton’s charm.

“He really fell in love with the city of Canton,“ he added.

Mayor Gene Hobgood also noted the significance of the city’s decision.

“Needless to say, everyone on this Council and the DDA as well is extremely excited about the possibilities that we are looking at here now,” he added.

Stefanie Joyner, the executive director of the Cherokee County Historical Society, was part of the vocal stakeholders who expressed a desire to see the buildings preserved for another use once the Cherokee County School District vacates the premises for new office space.

Joyner briefly talked with Patch about her feelings on the Council’s decision, a move she said she was “thrilled’ to see happen.

“This was the best outcome that we could have anticipated when we started,” she said.

Joyner said she and the Historical Society have lobbied for the buildings to be used as retail and office space when they started the process to save the structures from demolition.

“i think this is going to be the start of revitalizing downtown Canton,” she added.

---

Photo: from left, Canton residents Chris Saxon, Sue Van Gee, Dan Casey and City Attorney Bobby Dyer look at the renderings for the redevelopment of the former Canton Textile Mill offices and Canton Grammar School following Friday’s called meeting. Credit: Kristal Dixon