Will burned buildings become next Hole?

Only time will tell if McMinnville will have another hole in the heart of downtown after the Saturday morning fire which destroyed 207 and 209 E. Main Street.

Although McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport expressed his hope that the property owners would rebuild and encouraged them to do so, the city’s hands are tied to some extent.

‘We can’t tell the property owners what to do unless it is a safety situation,’ said Davenport. ‘We can go in and say it is a hazard and get rid of the hazard. We can’t go in there and tell them to build a building back. That decision is up to them.’

Saturday’s fire is the most devastating to strike the historic downtown district in 40 years. The last major fire occurred Dec. 1, 1968 when Cook’s Department Store burned in the spot affectionately known as The Hole for decades.

For over 30 years, The Hole remained in miserable condition. It was in such bad shape, a junkyard fence was placed around it in an attempt to shield the public from a large-scale eyesore in the middle of downtown.

In September 1999, city officials voted to purchase the land for $115,000 from Harold Walling and Joe Powell Shelton. Although an attempt to clean up the area was made in April of 2000, the property was still ugly.

Since 2000, ideas on what to do with the area included an amphitheater, new business, water park, and a public park. For a short time, it was included in the Downtown Economic Revitalization Project. None of the ideas took hold and it was later removed from the revitalization project.

With the revitalization project, The Hole became The Slope and grass was grown on the property. After city administrator David Rutherford began working for the city last year, he instructed Public Works Department director Bill Brock to level The Slope, and lay sod.

Today, The Hole is an attractive, grassy lot ‘ a process which took nearly four decades. Will the downtown property that burned Saturday have the same fate?

Travis McVey, owner of 209 E. Main, is still undecided about rebuilding. However, he did say the cost of rebuilding might be too high for that to occur.

As for Mel Dixon, who owns 207 E. Main with his wife Janice, they too are undecided. Having lived in the building that burned, they lost everything and it might take a couple months before they can adjust.

For the Dixons, something good did come from the rubble of their downtown home. While the city was demolishing the walls for safety reasons and digging through some of the rubble for the fire investigation, family treasures were found.

‘Bill Brock walked in half an hour ago and handed me four albums of photographs and a policeman found a photograph this morning that he brought me,’ said Dixon. ‘That was the happiest I’ve been in days. I could not replace them.’

While the Dixons enjoy a salvaged piece of their destroyed lives with the return of those photos, Warren County residents showed their compassion by donating items such as pans, appliances, towels, sheets and clothes during a shower held for the couple by First Baptist Church.

‘That was the first shower I’ve had in my life,’ said Dixon. ‘I didn’t know what a shower was like for a guy. I was overwhelmed. We got so many things that it took me an hour to carry the things to our apartment.’

Besides the shower, Dixon says he can’t get out in public without someone stopping him and offering their sympathy or their help in some way. He estimates that he’s had conversations with at least 500 people.

Although city officials are optimistic the property owners will fix up the lots even if they don’t rebuild, the decision is still theirs. Davenport says he doubts the city will allow the area to turn into another hole.

‘We can’t tell the property owners what to do unless it is a safety situation.’

‘ Mayor Royce Davenport