Posted on Mon, May. 05, 2008

GULFPORT -- Harrison County supervisors are set to award the bid today for the demolition of the Gulfport Library, but the demolition needs the approval of the state Department of Archives and History as well.

Tuesday, the county received 17 bids on the demolition ranging in price from about $87,000 to $200,000. Architect Taylor Guild will make a recommendation to the board at today's meeting.

However, officials at Archives and History must give the OK to any changes, including demolition, to a state or locally-owned building, said Jennifer Baughn, who works for the department.

Baughn said the plan to demolish the building will go before the department's permit committee and members will decide whether it should be designated a Mississippi landmark. If the library receives that designation, it couldn't be torn down unless the county wins an appeal.

The permit committee meets monthly and its next meeting is Thursday.

Buildings that are 50 years old and older can be named a landmark, but Baughn said buildings that have significant historical significance also can be landmarks even if they aren't 50. The Gulfport Library is 43 years old.

Supervisors have said they intend to move forward.

"Unless the city asks us not to demolish the building or we receive different information from FEMA, we're going to award that bid," said Supervisor Kim Savant, whose district includes the library.

Supervisor Marlin Ladner agreed.

"We have no plans to use it for any public building at this point," he said. "If nothing changes about the information we've gotten from the city and FEMA, then I'm voting to award the bid."

Hurricane Katrina significantly damaged the library, and supervisors decided to move the main branch and administrative offices to Orange Grove and to build a branch downtown.

The county owned the building, and the city owned the land, but in December, the City Council voted unanimously to give the deed to the county so it could get FEMA funds to move the library. One of the stipulations of the donation was that the county tear down the building.

FEMA doesn't require the building be torn down, but federal officials have said the county can rebuild the library or move it, but FEMA won't pay for both. FEMA officials also have said if the land is used for anything but open space, it will not pay for damage that might be incurred in future storms.

A group of residents known as We The People is protesting the demolition and is asking the county to delay it until the group gets some answers from FEMA regarding the building.

The group's attorney, Henry Laird, sent a letter last week to Congressman Gene Taylor's office and asked some questions about FEMA's funding for the library, but he had not received a response by the weekend.