A Clarkesville businessman has purchased the property where the popular Sweet Breads Cafe once stood. Matt Mixon of State Farm Insurance in Clarkesville bought the empty lot on East Water Street. He’s agreed to lease it to the City of Clarkesville for one year so that the city can finish it’s clean up of the burned out buildings on the town square.
The Clarkesville City Council approved the lease agreement with Mixon on Monday contingent upon the sale of the property. That has since occurred. City Manager Barbara Kesler says, under the agreement, the city will pay Mixon $750 a month for use of the lot. The council is expected to give final approval to the plan at next Monday night’s Clarkesville City Council meeting.
The City of Clarkesville bought the four buildings on the square that were burned in a fire ten months ago. City officials were interested in acquiring the Sweet Breads property, too, but were unable to agree on a purchase price with owners C.B. Henson and Lee Hull.
Clarkesville city councilwoman Barrie Aycock says, “When the clean up of the other burned buildings began, it became evident that access to these buildings from the rear was even more critical than we had originally thought, due to necessity of asbestos removal from one or more of the buildings.” She adds, “We are delighted that Matt Mixon has purchased the property and will allow us to lease it from him for a year.” Aycock says the ultimate use of the property is yet to be determined.
Now Habersham was unable to reach Mixon for comment.
Sweet Breads and half of the eastern side of the Clarkesville square burned on March 5, 2014. The fire started inside the restaurant and quickly spread to the nearby historic buildings. Investigators with the State Fire Marshall’s Office were unable to determine the cause of the fire.
Crews from the local contracting firm of Blake Rainwater and Associates began clearing debris from inside the fire-damaged buildings earlier this month. They’re also working to stabilize the buildings.
It’s all part of the city’s revitalization efforts in the wake of the devastating fire.
After the fire, Clarkesville hired the Carl Vinson Institute at the University of Georgia to help the city develop a Downtown Master Plan. The final presentation of that plan will be made Monday, February 2, during the city council meeting. The meeting begins at 6:30pm at Clarkesville City Hall.
