Lincoln County supervisors were unable to determine anyimmediate uses for the old Keystone Seneca building after touringthe run-down facility Wednesday, leaving officials with questionsabout what to do with the huge building and grounds taking up spacein the Brookhaven Industrial Park.

Supervisors are hoping to sell or lease the property to abusiness that can create jobs. However, the deteriorating building- constructed in 1956 and once a vital part of the Brookhaven’sindustrial community – is no longer useful to modern industry dueto its many supporting columns and low ceiling space, saidBrookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce Executive VicePresident Cliff Brumfield.

“It’s useful economic life has ended,” he said. “For the rightperson needing an organized space who doesn’t require high ceilingspace, it could be useful. But the issue is finding that person inthis economy.”

Brumfield said modern manufacturers require a ceiling height atleast twice as high as that of the Keystone building. He pointed tothe low heights as the building’s biggest detriment, one that hasstalled a would-be $650,000 state-assisted renovation effort in thepast.

“We inherited the building, but we received very little interestbecause of the economy and the building’s layout and design,”Brumfield said.

Brookhaven is not alone in dealing with old, inadequatemanufacturing buildings, Brumfield said.

“This part of the U.S. is littered with buildings like this,” hesaid. “They’re absolutely dirt cheap. In its time, it was a heck ofa deal for the county. But all these buildings have a beginning andan end.”

District Five Supervisor Gary Walker said the building could beused as a storage facility for another company, but “it would costan arm and leg to fix it back up.” District Three Supervisor NolanEarl Williamson said supervisors would help any company clean andrestore the facility, but he guessed that modern manufacturerswould likely save money by building a new facility instead ofrestoring Keystone.

Williamson also pointed out that any further attempts to marketthe building would be hurt by the 23 acres of rubbish acrossIndustrial Park Road, where the demolished remnants of the HomeliteJacobsen building are piled in limbo after an unfinished job.Supervisors plan to prevent such an end for Keystone.

Despite the disenchanting discourse shared by supervisors whiletouring the facility, some are still hopeful.

Board President the Rev. Jerry Wilson wants to offer thebuilding to another company that produces wire cloth and canessentially pick up where Keystone left off. Wilson worked atKeystone for more than 24 years before the company’s 50-year runcame to an end.

“We just need to find who all is out there,” he said.

District Two Supervisor Bobby Watts said he was holding out “alot of hope” for the building. He pointed out the building’s largespace and massive, concrete foundation – which is still in goodshape – as potential selling points for companies.

“What it needs is a new roof, electrical work and someone whodoesn’t need high ceilings,” he said. “It would be a remarkableplace, because it’s not as bad as it looks. You’d be surprised -you could come in here and steam clean all this. There’s somecompany in the U.S. that would use it if they came and looked atit.”

The county only recently reacquired the property whensupervisors terminated Keystone’s lease after the building satinactive for approximately one year and no lease payments werereceived. Keystone protested the termination by sending in a latecheck, but the county returned the payment.

In the meantime, the Keystone Seneca building will likelycontinue to sit vacant and provide a dry home for the pigeons whilesupervisors sort out their options for the old building, whichappear to be few.

“This is one of those cases where if a dog catches a car,what’cha gonna do with it?” asked Chancery Clerk TillmonBishop.