Old superintendent building up for sale soon
Published 7:00 am Friday, September 9, 2016
The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors is beginning the process of selling some county property on Highway 11 in Carriere.
Before Hurricane Katrina, two buildings occupied the county property, located at Highway 11 and Washington Street, which housed the Pearl River County School District Superintendent’s office, County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said.
When the storm came through in 2005, both buildings sustained water and wind damage, Lumpkin said.
“One of them sustained enough damage and was torn down,” Lumpkin said.
The other received a new roof but was not large enough to house the office, so FEMA helped set up the current office complex with trailers, Lumpkin said.
Since 2005, the building has been vacant as the county fought with FEMA for money to construct a permanent building, Lumpkin said.
In the last couple of years, the county lost all appeals and arguments for the funding, so the Board has decided to sell the property, Lumpkin said.
He said the lot is in a prime location and includes undeveloped land.
At the monthly Board meeting on Tuesday, Board Attorney Joe Montgomery said a notice for the sale of the building was prepared, and will be published three times before bids are due.
Montgomery said the county would only be responsible for providing the land deed upon sale, not any costs incurred from surveys or closing costs.
The Board also made plans to post notices of the sale on the property as well as in the county courthouse.
The property is located on a corner lot near a gas station and adjoins other commercial properties for sale by private owners.
Lumpkin said he is uncertain of the value of the property.
Pearl River County School District Superintendent Alan Lumpkin said he has not discussed plans for a new office building since he took office in 2011.
The superintendent’s office is still located next to Pearl River Central High School in the trailers provided by FEMA.