New employment office coming to hotel corner
By Laura Collins
Published in News on June 13, 2010 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/DENNIS HILL
The former site of the Days Inn hotel, which was damaged in a 2007 windstorm and later demolished, will soon be the new home of the offices of the county's branch of the Employment Security Commission.
The Wayne County branch of the Employment Security Commission is planning on growing and moving in the months ahead -- and will do so at a site where a storm-decimated hotel once stood.
Branch manager Bill Pate said construction has begun on a new office for the agency at the former site of the Days Inn at the corner of Wayne Memorial Drive and U.S. 70.
The hotel was originally damaged in August 2007 when heavy storms hit the area. The windstorm leveled the roof of the then-35-year-old structure.
The hotel was later condemned by the city in February 2008 and demolished in August of that year.
The new, one-story building at the site will be owned by Michael Voncannon, an independent contractor. The ESC will lease it from him.
At its current office on William Street, Pate said the agency has four community partners -- two Wayne Community College staff members; the Mideast Commission, which runs the older worker program; and Green Lamp, which operates the school youth program.
"Basically we don't have enough room," Pate said. "We need more employees to meet more demand."
Pate said the new location will have room for 10 additional work stations to allow more partners to come in. There are currently about 21 employees at ESC and Pate said after the agency moves, it could be closer to 30.
"If the economy remains like it has been, we will probably add on more staff. There are some programs that we're operating now that we could use additional people for," Pate said.
Jennifer Collins, Goldsboro senior planner, said the new building will be about 10,000 square feet and have 120 parking spaces. She said ESC is anticipating eventually employing 43 people at the new location and will continue to operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday though Friday.
The Goldsboro City Council approved the construction at its February board meeting.
Ms. Collins added that it's possible the new building will not develop the entire space once occupied by the hotel, leaving a piece of property still available for a commercial buyer interested in locating at the corner.
The property has been for sale for more than two years since the owners of the wind-damaged hotel, Daley Investments, were told they needed to remove the remains of the structure from the site.
The damaged hotel had been sitting for more than a year, as the owners attempted to resolve a concern with insurance coverage.