City clearing more of West Third Street
by Diane Wagner, staff writer
Jul 03, 2012 | 5168 views | 1 1 comments | 10 10 recommendations | email to a friend | print
The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division on West Third Street will relocate its offices and equipment to North Avenue and the building demolished for a hotel and other amenities. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division on West Third Street will relocate its offices and equipment to North Avenue and the building demolished for a hotel and other amenities. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
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These buildings on city-owned West Third Street property — the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division, Just Sports and Tennis and Hall of Fame Trophies — will be demolished for a hotel and other amenities as an extension of the downtown district. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
These buildings on city-owned West Third Street property — the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division, Just Sports and Tennis and Hall of Fame Trophies — will be demolished for a hotel and other amenities as an extension of the downtown district. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
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The former American Legion building at 170 North Avenue is being gutted and renovated as the new Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division headquarters. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
The former American Legion building at 170 North Avenue is being gutted and renovated as the new Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division headquarters. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
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The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division on West Third Street will relocate its offices and equipment to North Avenue and the building will be demolished for a hotel and other amenities. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
The Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division on West Third Street will relocate its offices and equipment to North Avenue and the building will be demolished for a hotel and other amenities. (Diane Wagner / Rome News-Tribune)
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The city of Rome expects to demolish the buildings on its West Third Street riverfront parcels before the end of the year.

Plans are to put a multi-story full service hotel on the tract now occupied by the Rome-Floyd Parks and Recreation Authority parks division and the building that formerly housed Just Sports and Tennis

Phase II of the project proposed by David Doss’ Samson Development calls for owner-occupied condominiums and retail shops on the adjacent parcel at the Chief John Ross Pedestrian Bridge.

City Manager John Bennett said he hopes to have a formal agreement with Doss to present at the Rome City Commission’s July 9 meeting.

“If we can get a hotel there, it will really help The Forum,” he said Monday.

Just Sports and Tennis has moved to a new location at 215 N. Fourth Ave. and should have the old building cleared this week. Bennett said the purchasing department is preparing a request for demolition bids.

“We may do some of it ourselves, but we have other projects and we’re not overloaded with people right now. We may have to contract some of it out,” he said.

The old RFPRA building also will come down as soon as the parks division moves to the former American Legion Post 52 site at 107 North Ave. next to the city transit department.

Multi-Craft Construction Services LLC is gutting and renovating the building. Owner Dwayne Alford said work should be end by Oct. 1.

The parks division will be ready to go as its new home is ready, said RFPRA Executive Director Richard Garland.

“We won’t be awash with space, but we’ll have more than we did before,” he said.

There will be offices for Parks Superintendent Todd Wofford, three supervisors and an administrative assistant. A mechanics building will be added to the site and some storage sheds will be moved from West Third.

The division has charge of all the RFPRA’s cleaning, repair and maintenance supplies — from fertilizer and line chalk to toilet paper and heating and air system parts. Mowers, bobcats, dump trucks and other vehicles also are stored onsite.

“Our guts are all there,” Garland said.

Bennett said the city still needs to do some soil tests on its West Third property but it will be faster and cheaper to wait until the buildings are removed.
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westromemom
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July 03, 2012
wow...so a hotel is convenient for tennis tournaments, Peach State Marching Festival, Shorter football people, but where is all the parking going to be for those of us who use Barron on a REGULAR basis??? Seems too crowded for me...should put some type of park there, and parking DECK. Who's making money off of this?? Not a Roman I'm sure.
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