A demolition permit allowing Central Methodist University to raze three derelict buildings on West Morrison Street was approved by the Fayette City Council at its most recent meeting on Tuesday, January 11. 

As previously reported by the Fayette Advertiser, the university plans to demolish the buildings in order to construct a parking lot that will serve student-residents of its planned new structure on the west side of the courthouse square. The parking lot will also be open to the public.

The vacant brick structure on Morrison Street that formerly housed a bakery and restaurant, along with the adjacent storefront to the west, was purchased by the college earlier this month from Sonja Allen-King.

The project will raze most of the buildings on the block between an alley and Linn Street. Only the building on the block’s westernmost end will remain. It currently houses Ma’s Discount Hooch, which opened in the summer of 2020, following major building renovations.

Ma’s owner Jeff Parks was on hand at the meeting and aired concerns regarding the demolition of buildings that are attached to his structure.

“I just hope (my building) stays standing after they take them down,” Parks said. “I’m not trying to stop something that looks like progress. I just don’t want to be left with a mess.”

Local businessman JB Waggoner said that the university will not leave any damage to Parks’s building. While Waggoner has been instrumental in the overall project, neither he nor his company owns the buildings on West Morrison Street. He played a major role in acquiring the nearly full block of buildings on the west side of the square that CMU will also demolish in order to build a new structure.

“We’re not going to tear down a wall and say, ‘sorry about that.’ That’s why the engineer is involved,” Waggoner said.

While the city’s action clears the way for the demolition permit to be issued, Fayette Building Inspector and Director of Public Works Danny Dougherty has the final say. Until he signs off on the permit, nothing will be issued. The university still must present an application with plans and pay the permit fee.

“I can make sure that they’re going to do what they’re supposed to do and make sure the demo plan protects everybody,” Dougherty said. “We’re doing the same thing on the other buildings.”