Q:

Is there work being done on the building at the corner of N. Jackson Street and W. Court   Street?

A:

Renovations have begun at the property at 202 N. Jackson St., which houses several tenants. Currently in the building are three tenants: Hollywood Beauty Supply, Brookhaven Barber and Styling School and the recent addition, Common Cents and Values, a variety resale store.

Recently the property has transferred ownership, said property manager Beth Johnson, who owns Southern Heritage Realty and Property Management. She said the new owner of the property is local, and is very interested in contributing to the historical preservation and renovation of the downtown area.

The building once housed a grocery store and for a long while, Baker’s Pharmacy.

Johnson said the renovations will happen in three stages, the first of which is repairing the awning on the northwestern side. After a new awning is put on that side, the renovation process will move to the south side of the building (the front entrance). The front awning will be changed and Johnson said she believes the building will then be painted. She said the façade of the building will look different, possibly with the goal of making it look like it did when it was first built.

The part of the building where windows are boarded up is expected to be remedied soon, Johnson said. The windows were shot out several months ago as a part of the spree of destruction when several businesses were targeted and had their windows shot. Johnson said the windows are part of the beauty school’s location, and the owner of that business had to special order the window replacements. Some have already been replaced, and the rest are to be installed soon as they arrived last week.

Johnson said she does not know when the three-phase renovation is expected to be completed, though she thinks it should take about a year. Johnson said efforts made to preserve and restore Brookhaven’s downtown area are being appreciated by visitors and residents alike.

“Everyone is enjoying that Brookhaven is renovating,” Johnson said. “When people come in they are surprised when they see our downtown area and what all we have here.”

Johnson said this is especially true because many downtown areas in other cities are withering away.

“It’s exciting for us to see Brookhaven make that transformation and make it to where downtown is still considered part of town,” she said. “So many places start new development and new subdivisions and make [the busy part of their town elsewhere].

“And they forget about the old part. And we didn’t, and it’s a good thing for Brookhaven.”