DGDC office relocates to City Hall
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on November 15, 2016 9:57 AM
Hurricane-related damage to the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. office led the DGDC to relocate its office to Goldsboro City Hall.
The property, at 219 N. John St., experienced interior damage to flooring, walls and furniture as well as the roof after high winds and pounding rain entered the building, said Andrew Jernigan, president of the DGDC board.
The DGDC office, operated by Goldsboro downtown development staff, is being housed temporarily on the first floor of City Hall, 214 N. Center St., until repairs can be made to the DGDC building.
"All in all, we didn't incur anything that can't be fixed or replaced," Jernigan said. "We're hoping to get relocated back within the next 30 to 60 days."
The DGDC, a nonprofit organization that supports downtown development and revitalization, owns the property and efforts are underway to coordinate repairs with DGDC's insurance company. Due to widespread damage throughout Wayne County, repair work could be delayed, said Elizabeth Rutland, Goldsboro downtown business and property development specialist.
"We consider ourselves very fortunate," Jernigan said. "Really, with what this community has gone through, we consider (the damage) minuscule."
Building damage was found after the Oct. 8 hurricane and efforts were made to quickly mitigate any mold or mildew damage. Parts of the roof will need to be repaired and new flooring will be installed. Interior walls will need repairs and some of the office furniture will be replaced, Jernigan said.
The DGDC is continuing its day-to-day operations and continues to receive telephone calls at its main number, at 735-4959.
Downtown staff area also continuing to plan and organize for several upcoming events as the DGDC enters one of its busiest times of the year prior to the holiday season.
"Even with all these obstacles and challenges, the staff is working tirelessly to make sure we can pull off all the holiday events bigger and better than before," Jernigan said.