Chamber can lease town hall for $14.50

The Sparta Town Council last week voted to lease the present town hall to the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce.

Under the plan, approved unanimously during council's April 2 meeting, the chamber would make lease payments of $14.50 per month and be responsible for building maintenance and insurance. The lease would be for five years, with an option to renew.

The town now owns the present Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation (BREMCO) headquarters on Main Street. BREMCO is renovating its new home, the former Lowe's Home Improvement store on U.S. 21 just south of the town's corporate limits, but within the town's extra-territorial mile jurisdiction. The company, with its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, plans to move into that facility later this year.

Once that move is made, the town will begin using the current Blue Ridge Electric building on Main Street as the new town hall and maintenance facility. "I have August in mind," said Town Manager Tom Douglas of the move. Meanwhile, Alleghany County plans to sell the Cash and Carry building — which currently houses the chamber, Wilkes Community College-Alleghany campus and Alleghany JobLink — as part of the Blue Ridge Telecenter funding plan. Therefore the chamber will need a new home. (BRT, WCC-A and JobLink plan to move into the former Bassett-Walker building on Atwood Street later this year.)

Council discussed, then voted to table, the lease suggestion last month. At last week's meeting, the consensus was to lease, rather than offer the building as a gift.

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