Jones Building Renovations Kick Off In Canton

CANTON, GA -- Construction crews will soon begin the process of breathing new life into a downtown Canton commercial building where development has been in limbo over the last several years. Interior demolition on the Jones Building will soon get underway, the city of Canton said.

City spokesperson Angela Thompson said crews will begin their task by removing cubicles and partitions installed by Cherokee County when its government offices were located inside the structure and making various repairs to the building's roof.

This initial demolition is expected to take a few months and when that's done, city staff will take elected officials around to check out the building's bones. Once they are given a chance to view the space, the city hopes to get feedback from the public to see "what should we do now" with the Jones Building, Thompson said.

The building, located along East Main Street next to Cannon Park, originally opened as Jones Mercantile in 1879. According to the city, Jones Mercantile sold everything from hardware to haberdasheries, food to furniture, and children’s toys to caskets -- essentially operating as a one-stop shop and the original Cherokee County department store (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

The city also notes Jones Mercantile accepted mill currency and store credit, "being on the cutting edge of retailing." It originally stood as only half the building mass that is currently visible until a two story addition was built adjacent to the first structure on the east side along Main Street. By 1921, the expansion had a third story added on the new space and the storefront along Main Street was seamlessly designed. The Jones Building was remodeled in the 1950's and in 1973, an aluminum and stucco facade was installed.

Cherokee County purchased the building in the 1980's to house additional administrative office space, and was transformed from a large open floor space to office suites for county operations. Cherokee County moved from the space in early 2008 and the United States Postal Service, which leased the first floor from the county, later vacated the space.

In January 2017, the city took ownership of the Jones Building as part of its agreement to consolidate the Canton Fire Department with Cherokee County. The City Council hired Lord Aeck Sargent’s (LAS) Atlanta Office and the duo of Jack Pyburn and Esther Davis to help in compiling plans to renovate the building's exterior.

Throughout early 2017, LAS brought on environmental engineers to scan and test building materials and examine the woodwork, windows, masonry, structure and mechanical workings of the Jones Building. That work allowed LAS to create architectural designs to prepare for bidding.

In May, Canton leaders moved forward with using a construction manager at-risk method of delivery for the project. Earlier this month, Garbutt Construction was brought on to serve in this role. Garbutt will oversee the project, subcontracting labor to varying groups through an open book system while bidding out all work. This, the city notes, will help Canton establish a not-to-exceed budgeted amount for the project. The work will also be done in two phases: a building envelope renovation and an operational renovation.

The first phase includes replacing the roof and reworking the facade, as well as repairing and replacing the windows, masonry and including historically accurate commercial storefront designs.

Mayor Gene Hobgood said the city is "excited" about the possibility of what the Jones Building could be for Canton. The building, which he expects to become the cornerstone of downtown, is going to flaunt a beautiful 1930's exterior similar to when it was at the height of its success.

Hobgood, who was the sole Cherokee County commissioner responsible for initially dividing the space up for county use, said the interior demolition will be intense and once those walls are removed, the City Council will have the chance to review the open space before it was outfitted for office use.

While the final decision on what to do with the building will rest with city leaders, the mayor said he and the Council, as always, welcome input from the public on the future of the building.

"That's the only way we know if we are doing what folks want us to do," he said.

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