WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms announced a big deal in the works Wednesday. We've covered stories for the past two months on a vacant building that sits on Watson Boulevard. The city tried to contact the building owners, and finally reached someone this week. Mayor Toms says one of the owners said the building is being sold to build a new medical facility.
Toms says they hope to close on selling the building within 45 days. Mayor Toms says they haven't decided which type of medical facility will be built on the site, but he believes it's being purchased by a private physician.
Raymond Haggard who attends the church next door to the vacant building says this is great news.
"It's exciting. It'll be an addition to the neighborhood, it'll look better," said Haggard.
Haggard says he's been with the church since the 1960s. He says he's seen the building's condition go downhill. His church has cleaned up over time.
The building sits at 1205 Watson Boulevard. It was Citizen's State Bank when it first opened in 1956 and most recently a Wells Fargo Bank. Trash has piled up outside and that has lots of people complaining.
"We've been working diligently on this building because I don't disagree that, on Watson Boulevard especially, we want things to look good, and you know, that building's been sitting vacant for 10 years," said Toms.
Public Works, Code Enforcement, and members of the public have pitched in to clean up.
Toms says the city was working on search warrants to go inside the building, but now that is all on hold.
"There were some fines or fees put on that and we were not waiving that necessarily. We're just putting it on hold for now to make sure that this deal goes through because the ultimate goal is to turn it into a good, productive place for our community," said Toms.
Haggard says he can't wait to see what's in store.
"We're very thankful that they're doing that, it would be something worthwhile, instead of just building sitting there for people to abuse," said Haggard.