The City of Hattiesburg hopes state grant money from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History will be available to renovate City Hall, F.B. Woodley Elementary School, and other projects.
The City Council took the first step by authorizing the application for the grant funds in the Community Heritage Preservation Grant Program during its meeting last Tuesday, Oct. 8. Grant funds are divided among different entities through an application process.
According to the application to MDAH, the total cost of the work is estimated at $59,200 for City Hall renovations and $200,000 at Woodley Elementary School. Both grants would require 20 percent matching funds; the Hattiesburg Public School District would pay matching funds on the elementary school work.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker said the City Hall renovations are designed to prevent damage to the structure from wear and tear.
“With a City Hall as old as ours, you have to be proactive in how you treat it,” he said. “Obviously, our first priority is Woodley Elementary. You submit and see what happens, and if it doesn’t happen this year, we’ll get to it the following year.”
The renovations at Woodley Elementary – which was built in 1948 – on the application include exterior waterproofing and repainting, replacement of lighting, cafeteria and auditorium upgrades, interior painting, replacement of door hardware, structural repairs, and HVAC upgrades.
Barker said about $3 million was not earmarked for projects.
Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker
“A lot of communities are applying for that same $3 million,” he said. “Only Mississippi landmarks are eligible, so we took the list of Mississippi landmarks in our city. We applied for Woodley Elementary’s administration building, Saenger Theater for molding replacement, City Hall where we have a Phase 3 of renovations, and then an interpretive fence around Eureka School that will supplement the Civil Rights Museum.”
Barker hopes MDAH will consider the applications.
“If we get one grant, that’s great,” he said. “If we get two, that’s even better. Missy McGee, our state representative, is really running interference with Archives and History. So, we hope we’re going to get an award somewhere.”
City Hall renovations could be done in phases, with three distinct areas.
The first priority is office renovations to repair moisture damage, painting, replacement of carpeting, and construction to redirect air-conditioning unit condensation, and environmental testing.
Second, are first-floor upgrades to enhance security and improve customer interaction, and then a rooftop access ladder on the third floor.
The application said, “The work associated with the repair of areas damaged by moisture and measures to prevent future moisture damage are the most critical because the moisture damage has caused mold, which presents a health hazard to employees and visitors.”
The moisture damage also poses a threat to the longevity of City Hall.
