The Columbus City Council is expected to decide on the fate of the former Eveningside Apartments tonight.
The complex”s owner, Robert Merchant, was served with an abatement order in May ordering the apartments be brought up to city code. When that didn”t happen, the city proceeded with an injunction.
On Monday, Columbus Zoning Officer Ken Wiegel, Code Enforcement Officer Derrick Nash, Mayor Robert Smith, City Attorney Jeff Turnage and Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong inspected a sampling of the apartments, located in the 800 block of 12th Street North, and found them to be in order.
The council is expected to decide whether or not to cease its legal action toward the apartments tonight during executive session.
The remainder of the meeting, which begins at 5 p.m., is dominated by slight changes to old projects.
The council will consider approval of a resolution to award the Moore”s Creek Crossing Infrastructure Improvement Project to Amason & Associates. The project encompasses enhancements to the location of developer Mark Castleberry”s new hotels on 18th Avenue.
The board will also be presented with a change order to the original plans which involves running a drainage line deeper than originally expected to avoid sewer lines.
The Moore”s Creek Crossing project is already bid at $1.9 million, which will be split between the city and the Environmental Protection Agency. However, Castleberry is providing the city”s match.
The city will also decide if Neel-Schaffer Inc. will handle engineering services for the Historic Highway 82 Bridge Project.
Chief Operations Officer David Armstrong said the project, which will convert the old bridge to a walking bridge, is estimated to cost $2.4 million, but he expects bids will be lower.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation has designated $2 million for the project. Lowndes County and the Columbus Convention and Visitor”s Bureau have both pledged to donate up to $133,333. The city will pay the remainder.
Tuesday”s final formality involves the approval of the city”s entrance into an agreement with Standard & Poor”s bond rating agency.
City officials traveled to New York City in October to meet with S&P representatives as well as Moody”s Investors Service. Armstrong says the city must first enter into an agreement to pay the agencies before the city”s credit rating will be disclosed, and the city only recently received S&P”s engagement letter.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.