Featured Image: Clarkesville City Manager Barbara Kesler and Consultant Brian LaBrie show contractors Johnny Spratlin, Hunter Bicknell of BM&K and Blake Rainwater the historical photos of the old Ramsey Building façade during a tour of the fire-damaged buildings in May.
The three construction firms vying for Clarkesville’s downtown restoration project are running out of time to finish their plans and submit their bids to City Council members. Wednesday is the deadline for proposals for the project to restore two of the fire damaged stores on the downtown square.
One local company and two from other areas of northeast Georgia are expected to deliver proposals this week.
| Clarkesville Request for Proposals Respondents | |
| Blake Rainwater & Associates | Clarkesville, Georgia |
| BM&K Construction and Engineering | Braselton, Georgia |
| John W. Spratlin & Son | Lincolnton, Georgia |
Clarkesville-based Blake Rainwater & Associates is already familiar with the project having contracted with the city early this year to stabilize what remains of the damaged buildings.
BM&K of Braselton has experience restoring faded retail spaces having done a major restoration in the Braselton Brothers Department Store in their hometown.
John W. Spratlin & Son works all over the state restoring historic buildings including several courthouses (like this one in Zebulon) and train depots.
Their challenge in Clarkesville will be to take the building’s exteriors back to a historically accurate façade while making sure the interiors are attractive and ready for modern retail or restaurant businesses. They’ve also been asked to turn the basements into rentable space while turning the back ally into an alternate storefront.
That part of the plan is key for the city to make enough money from renters to help pay down the debt on the project.
The first two buildings slated for restoration include the former Sharky’s Restaurant and the old Ramsey building on the E. Water Street end of the block. In what the city’s project consultant Kirby Glaze calls a “rolling restoration,” the city plans to start at that end and work their way into the block. If city leaders are happy with their chosen contractor’s work on this first phase of the project, they can proceed to the other buildings without going through the bidding process again.
The city is seeking historic tax credits, grants and low interest loans to pay for the the $2.6 million project. Glaze estimates that the buildings owned by the city can bring in $180,336 in rent annually. Clarkesville City Manager Barbara Kesler says that estimate is conservative and, if the financing comes through as expected, the city could easily make the annual payments on the renovation debt and still see an annual profit of $44,843.
Wednesday’s deadline for contractor’s proposals will be followed by an official presentation to City Council on Thursday afternoon. Once leaders pick the bid they like best,they expect contract negotiations to take about two weeks with the “Notice to Proceed” with the work slated to be issued on July 2.
