Officials have a vision for the Warlong Glove Factory building.
They hope to see a renovated three-story building with space for the Greenways Transit, the Conover branch library and a public meeting room. It would be a building that could serve many purposes.
The City Council and public got a look Monday at the plans for the building.
The building is planned to be the Conover Multi-Modal Center where passenger rail, taxi and bus services will be housed under one roof. The decision for that use of the factory building came after Conover was named a stop on the western North Carolina passenger rail service after the city, under the lead of Councilman Lee Moritz Jr., lobbied for the status last year.
Donald Tise, architect with Tise-Kiester Architects in Chapel Hill, unveiled plans at the City Council meeting.
"The plans are to take the shell of the building and renovate it to come up to safety standards," Tise said. "We'd be putting in insulation, reroofing it and putting in new plumbing and electrical systems."
Tise summed up the financial bonuses of renovating the building rather than building a new one.
"You couldn't afford to build this building new," he said. "It would cost $250 a square foot to build a new building and only $100 a square foot to renovate it."
Those attending the meeting seemed impressed.
"From what I've seen, it will be a building of value for the city for years to come," said Mayor Bruce Eckard. "Especially given its multiple uses."
Debbie Hovis, the branch manager for the Conover Library, said she liked what she saw in the renderings.
"It's terribly exciting. It has the potential to be absolutely beautiful, and the space," she said of the 3,000 square feet set aside for the library on the building's second floor.
The library is housed on the lower floor of the City Hall, but has grown steadily over the past few years, Hovis said.
Conover resident and owner of Conover Auto Sales Joie Fulbright said he likes the idea of a traffic signal put at the intersection of Fourth Street Place, SE, and N.C. 16, near his business.
"I have called in I don't know how many accidents in that area," Fulbright said. "Nothing serious, but it is a problem."
While the signal is not part of Tise's plans as it would have to have approval from N.C. Department of Transportation, City Manager Donald Duncan said it will be an important part of the development of the property.
"I feel certain we'll get it because that's the busiest left turn in the city," Duncan said.
In Tise's plans, each floor measures about 7,400 square feet. The community room, set for the building's bottom floor, will measure 3,800 square feet and have a 10-foot ceiling and 9-foot tall windows.
"The community room will have three doors that can be opened to accommodate indoor/outdoor functions," Tise said.
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