Old Scooba buildings being demolished

Posted

The old buildings standing guard at the eastern entrance to downtown Scooba have long been an eyesore and something that Mayor Craig Nave has worked hard to rectify. 

“The buildings haven’t been kept up for years,” Nave said of the half-dozen or more buildings that line Martin Luther King Jr. Drive just across from the railroad track. “They have been neglected and are deteriorating.” 

Nave said he has been “in constant contact” with the owners of the buildings and will continue to communicate with them. 

One of the owners is having two of the buildings taken down, while a third was donated to Scooba by another owner, which then allows the town to demolish it. “All of the buildings may not be removed,” Nave said. “Some of them may be restored and that would be good as well.” 

When entering Scooba from the west on Highway 16 visitors are greeted by the impressive Sullivan-Windham Stadium and the East Mississippi Community College campus, while those who enter the town from the east see what looks like a ghost town. 

“We want to beautify the look of our town,” Nave said. “This is something that has been needed for a long time.” 

Nave said he hopes these projects would just be the beginning of a facelift for Scooba. 

“We are hoping that the owners will (make the area) appealing for someone who may be interested in investing in the community,” he said. “What we are doing now is a start, but it has to continue.” 

He said the buildings that line what was formerly known as Railroad Street were not only unattractive, but dangerous as well. 

The annual Christmas Parade uses the area along that street as its main viewing site, while the street is also where the annual Scooba Trunk-or-Treat — which set for Oct 29 this year— is staged. 






Powered by Creative Circle Media Solutions