Developer Gayle Evans said every time he thinks he’s on theverge of making progress on his idea for a downtown assisted livingfacility, something new comes up.

“I was getting ready to close the deal out,” he said whilediscussing recent project-related activity. “It seems like whenI’ve got everything lined up and ready to go, then ‘BAM!’ There’ssomething else that comes up.”

After several weeks of discussions with city officials and planalterations to address their concerns, Evans got board approval inApril to proceed with his project.

Evans said he is still working toward making his idea a reality.However, as he sat poised to close out on buying the lot at thecorner of Whitworth Avenue and Monticello Street where the May 24,2007 fire leveled four downtown businesses, things took anotherunexpected turn.

The alley behind the Brookhaven Bike and Sport Shop turned outto be less of an access and more of a roadblock for Evans’ assistedliving center. Evans said the way his plans were set, it wouldclose off access for work trucks and other vehicles to the bikeshop. He said city Public Works Director Steve Moreton had told himit could not be blocked off.

“The land that I was buying, I could buy it, but if I put mybuilding up, they couldn’t get back there to service it,” hesaid.

Evans said the obvious answer is to try to buy the lotcontaining the bike shop, which he is trying to do.

Mayor Bob Massengill said getting the assisted living center putin on the corner would be a help to the downtown area, and thatcity residents seem ready to see something get started.

“There are so many other good things going on in the downtownarea, I think it would be a good thing to go ahead and putsomething there,” he said. “We encourage Mr. Evans in movingforward with this.”

Evans said his project initially met with various kinds ofresistance, which has cleared up, and that the ball is now in hiscourt if conditions would just find themselves favorable.

“Everybody’s for it, but they’re waiting on me now, and I justhave to work it out,” he said. “But it seems like it’s just oneproblem after another.”

The lot where the bicycle shop sits would open up space forparking, as well as allowing him to increase the size of the roomsin the facility.