McComb officials hope to advertise for bids to repair the interior of the city’s fire-damaged historic train depot in early December, Mayor Quordiniah Lockley said Tuesday.
Pike Construction of Mississippi handled the first phase of repairs, which consisted of putting on a new roof, rebuilding the extensively damaged northern wing of the building and weathering in other damaged areas.
City officials had declared the depot’s condition an emergency, which allowed them to bypass the bidding process for that work. Now that it’s over, the emergency declaration is no longer in effect, and the interior repairs must go out for bid.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History approved the layout of the project, clearing the way for the city to seek out contractors.
“Hopefully, in the next week or two, the first part of December, we might be able to go out with bids for the depot,” Lockley said.
The depot was heavily damaged in a fire on May 30, 2021. Markez Smith has been indicted on second-degree arson charges in the case and is awaiting trial.
The mayor said he does not know when the work will be completed, but he believes the new design will modernize the museum.
“What we want to do is to make the depot better than it was,” he said.
Lockley said plans are to move the Amtrak waiting room to the north end of the building.
“We’re talking about moving the waiting room in order that more space (for the museum) will be right there together,” he said.
Steve Cox, of Cox Architecture, is overseeing the bidding process for the interior repairs.
The board unanimously approved a $2,025 invoice from Cox at Tuesday’s meeting.
Lockley said insurance will pay for the work.
