Staff photo by Mike O'Neal
Roark Rubner, an employee with the LaFayette Water Department, uses a metal grinder in the city's 150,000 square foot facility.
LaFAYETTE, Ga. — City officials and employees agree that buying an abandoned carpet mill and converting it into a one-stop utilities shop was a good move for the Queen City of the Highlands.
“It’s been a very good investment,” City Manager Johnnie Arnold said. “The building was a steal at the price.”
National Spinning Co. closed its Caron yarn plant here in February 2003 and vacated the 150,000-square-foot building. The city purchased the plant and its 41-acre site for $350,00 in 2008.
The timing was fortunate because arsonists burned the city’s water and sewer department building on New Year’s Day 2008. Purchase of the Caron facility was already under way before the fire, Mayor Neal Florence said.
An additional $150,000 transformed the spinning plant into a modern home for the city’s public works, utilities and maintenance departments.
City employees provided the labor, and SPLOST funds were used to rewire, add heating and air conditioning and construct offices and meeting rooms. The project changed an eyesore into a symbol of a forward-looking city and benefits residents and employees.
“It is much more cost-effective to have our people operate from one location,” Mr. Arnold said. “We were spread out all over the place.”
The facilities are better, too.
“We don’t even want to show what we had before,” said Teresa Abbott, administrative assistant for public works. “Our office was in the old Walker County Jail — from back in the ball-and-chain days — and some places had little better than dirt floors.”
Public Works Superintendent Richard Moore said now workers are in a safer and more productive environment, and city property is sheltered.
“We have indoor storage for about 85 percent of our equipment,” Mr. Moore said. “Instead of one bay, which meant we constantly had to shuffle equipment in and out, we now have 10 work bays and room for storage.”
“This is at least 100 percent better than before,” said public works employee Deedab Brown.
The space also provides storage for heavy equipment and reserve fire and police vehicles, protecting them from weather, vandals or theft, said Public Safety Director Tommy Freeman.
“From a security standpoint, having the city equipment locked down cuts down on replacement and on maintenance costs,” Chief Freeman said. “It saves all the way around.”
