It’s served as a school and a church and, soon, the old historic Demorest school built in the days of President Franklin Roosevelt will serve as Demorest City Hall.
The city’s development authority has agreed to purchase the historic school. Demorest City Manager Kim Simonds announced the city’s intention to move the city’s administrative offices from their current location on Georgia Street once the purchase is complete.
“It has long been a desire of the Demorest Downtown Development Authority and the Demorest City Council to move the Demorest City Hall to a location outside of the Demorest downtown area,” Simonds says. “An opportunity became available recently for the DDA to purchase the old Demorest Elementary School and we are seizing the opportunity to move forward with the purchase.”
City officials say the downtown space that’s now occupied by city hall would be best utilized for retail or restaurant space.
“We are excited about the limitless possibilities this property offers to our city and our citizens,” Simonds says.
The historic school, built under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA), closed as a school in June 2011. Most recently, it served as home to Concord Baptist Church.
