Polk begins closing procedures after $50k offer

Polk County has found a new owner for the Jervey-Palmer building in Tryon.

Commissioners met Jan. 7 and heard from interim county manager Marche Pittman that the county received no upset bids following a $50,000 offer on the building.

Daystar Enterprises Inc. made the offer prior to the December 3 board of commissioner meeting where the county began the 10-day upset bid process.

Pittman said no upset bids were received and told commissioners he has spoken with attorney Phillip Feagan who is starting the closing process.

The county accepted the bid after working with the Town of Tryon in an attempt to donate the building to the town since it is located within Tryon’s town limits and zoning district.

Tryon asked the county to have a phase I study done on the property, which concluded that there was lead paint and asbestos located in the building. Tryon then asked the county to do a phase II study, but the county instead asked the town if the county could remove the tanks in question instead of conduct a phase II study.

Tryon had planned to work with Daystar Enterprises to give it the building in exchange for the purchase of a new maintenance shed for the town to have at its wastewater treatment plant in order to tear down the one that sits just behind downtown.

Tryon officials said the exchange became too complicated and declined the offer of the Jervey-Palmer building following its November 2012 meeting.

Polk County vacated the Jervey-Palmer building a little over a year ago when its department of social services (DSS) moved into a new human service building the county constructed in Mill Spring. The county’s goal for years was to vacate the building, which housed DSS, veteran’s service, the senior center and mental health services, due to its age and expense to maintain.

The building was originally constructed in 1929 as the first St. Luke’s Hospital. A new hospital was constructed in Columbus and opened in 1973 when the hospital gave the county the Jervey-Palmer building after the county approved a bond to pay for the new hospital.

It has not been made public what plans Daystar Enterprises has for the 17,777 square foot Jervey-Palmer building that is located on 4.92 acres of land along Carolina Drive.

Daystar Enterprises also purchased the former Grover Plant in Lynn last year with plans to create retail spaces there.