Along

with three other Long Street houses, the Dorsey

house was bought by Fayette County to provide

more room for the judicial complex expansion.

Fayetteville

already is heavily involved in restoration on the

Hollingsworth House, which was saved from the

wrecking ball last year, and the

Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House.

"While

we are excited about the preservation and

rehabilitation of the Hollingsworth and

Holliday-Dorsey-Fife homes, our resources are

limited," said Sherri Anderson, director of

Main Street Fayetteville. "We are hoping

that the private sector can help us out with this

diamond in the rough."

At

the city's request, the county has delayed

demolition to allow time to find a qualified

owner.

"This

is a wonderful opportunity for someone with an

appreciation for local history and an interest in

preservation to acquire an architecturally

significant home," said Maurice Ungaro,

director of planning for the city. "We are

willing to help any qualified party to find a new

location for the home within the Fayetteville

Main Street district. The building could be

adapted to office or commercial use, or used for

its original purpose, as a home."

What's

the catch?

The

new owner will have to act quickly. The city

wants to know the proposed use of the building

and is asking for a rehabilitation plan for the

structure. Interested parties also must

demonstrate their financial ability to carry out

those plans, and must commit to moving the house

"This

will be an ambitious project, but it could truly

be a win-win for the new owner and the

community," said Anderson. "We continue

to lose many of our older homes to new

development or neglect. The city of Fayetteville

can't acquire every one, but we hope we can make

it easier and more cost effective for the private

sector to step into the process."

If

you're interested, phone Anderson or Ungaro at

770-461-6029. interested parties must submit

proposals by Jan. 10. The Downtown Development

Authority will then decide which is the most

appropriate and realistic plan.

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