The county commission is on the verge of striking a deal with the owner of a local business to lease the old Cherry Hill Community Center building which is no longer in use by the county.
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, County Mayor Tim Stribling informed the commission that the owner of JBeez Watercraft near Silver Point on Highway 56 wants to lease the Cherry Hill Community Center building for five years at $500 per month with a five year renewal option.
Although the commissioners have signaled their support of the move they want to see the deal in writing and voted have the county mayor direct the county attorney to prepare a lease for them to vote on next month.
Seventh District Commissioner Bruce Malone made that motion and it received a second by Second District Commissioner Myron Rhody. The vote was unanimous.
Before the vote County Mayor Stribling outlined terms of the lease to be drawn up as recommended by the county public works committee.
“I was approached by the JBEEZ and Canoe the Caney business that is next door to the Cherry Hill Community Center about renting it. Up until about two or three years ago the Cherry Hill Community Center was a voting precinct but it is no longer a voting precinct. The community hasn’t been active with that community center for quite a while,” said County Mayor Stribling.
“The owner of JBEEZ, Jason Carver and I had some conversations and he would like to rent the community center for five years at $500 per month with a five year renewable option. He would do all renovations inside. The bathrooms and kitchen will have to be redone. He would like to do it as an extension of his business and possibly put in a restaurant and serve barbeque and whatever else. The county would be responsible like most leases for the roof, walls, and floors. It had a new roof put on it through insurance about three or four years ago. In the lease we (county) would basically say that the tenant would rent for $500 a month for five years with possibly a five year renewable option. You could increase the rent at that time. We would be responsible for the roof and the outside structure of the building while the tenant would be responsible for any kind of repairs on the inside of the building, the parking lot, utilities, mowing the lawn, and general upkeep,” said County Mayor Stribling.