Clinton firm identified as city hall contractor

RIDGELAND — The contractor who accidentally demolished the old city hall building here has been identified as a company out of Clinton.

Public Works Director Alan Hart has confirmed the city paid the contractor $47,000 for asbestos removal and demolition of the shopping center at the corner of U.S. 51 and Lake Harbour Drive.

A public records request submitted by the Journal returned four bids for the project. Faircloth Demolition of Clinton submitted a low bid of $47,000.

The contract did not have to go before aldermen because it was below the $75,000 threshold and they received several competing bids. 

Southern Recycling and Demolition of D’Iberville submitted the high bid at $71,000. M and M Services of Jackson submitted a bid of $65,000 and Century Construction of Tupelo submitted a bid of $66,500.

Hart said the city could not discuss the issue due to pending litigation with the contractor.

“We simply are not in a position to discuss while this is an ongoing legal matter,” Hart said.

The accidental deletion of the building at the corner of U.S. 51 and Lake Harbour Drive occurred on Monday, Jan. 15, while the contractor was demolishing an old shopping center behind the former government building.

“The contractor made a mistake,” Mayor Gene F. McGee said at the time.

The city still owns the property and has had it up for sale.

According to Hart, the matter has been discussed during executive sessions at city board meetings with city attorneys.

The city board approved an agenda item unanimously on the consent agenda at the Oct. 3, 2023, regularly scheduled meeting for the Public Works Department to advertise bids for asbestos abatement and demolition of the shopping center.

The shopping center was acquired by the city for demolition to allow for upcoming improvements at the intersection of U.S. 51 and Lake Harbour Drive.

The property was purchased in late 2023 for $1,165,000, Hart said.

The city is currently waiting to hear from the Mississippi Department of Transportation to finalize plans for the intersection improvement, according to McGee.

“It will be a little while,” he said.

The shopping center once had a liquor store, a coin laundry, and other businesses.

The Journal reported in July 2022 that city officials put plans for the coin laundry to expand on hold saying they were not sure what the future held for the building.

Ward 2 Alderman Chuck Gautier acknowledged the traffic issues at the intersection at the time. He argued that traffic coming in and out of the existing building was “horrible” and argued the building was “past its prime.”

“I think the city would benefit from that building not being there,” Gautier said. 

McGee agreed during that meeting that the building could soon become unusable.