Photo by Jessica Vaughn

Photo by Jessica Vaughn

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SUMMERDALE – The Summerdale town council unanimously voted to repurchase the historic Tobacco Warehouse located in the heart of downtown Summerdale from the current owner, Marjorie Snook.

“This is going to be a momentous night for us,” said Mayor David Wilson during the Sept 11 council. “We’re looking to repurchase the Tobacco Warehouse for the Town of Summerdale, and I’d like to especially mention that Marjorie Snook is selling that back to the town for $300,000, and that is a tremendous cut in the cost of that building.”

The council previously sold the building after plans to turn the warehouse into town hall were halted due to the building in which town hall currently resides becoming available.

“We couldn’t pass this building up for that building then,” said council member Norma Giles. “That one needed so much work, and this one was ready to go. But to know that we can reacquire the Tobacco Warehouse is really exciting.”

Wilson began considering the repurchasing of the building after viewing a video sent to the council by a member of Summerdale’s Planning Commission concerning the preservation of the town’s icons. As Wilson said, once the icons are gone, they can never be brought back.

After the video, Wilson began looking into what it would take to repurchase the building, and was met by an excellent offer from Snook, which also includes all 8 lots. Snook has previously given the town the lot in the back.

Wilson states that as an icon of the community, he would hate to see the building be destroyed and the history lost.

“I feel like this is an icon of the community,” said Wilson. “Different companies have talked about coming into the building, which I know our zoning would prohibit, such as putting apartments in it and things like that, and, to me, that would be a travesty if something like that were to happen.”

The building, which is 30,000 square feet, offers a lot of opportunities to the town, and grants are already being considered for all the possible futures for the warehouse. Whatever is chosen, the town hopes to keep the iconic look and feel alive.

“This is really a major part of history because Summerdale was a tobacco growing town,” said Wilson. “Everything pretty much centered around that … I don’t have a plan for it right now, but I’d hate to see it be torn down, or to see it used for something that would be bad for the community … And you just never know what someone else will do to it, but if we owned the building, then we could restore it for what we want it to be.”

The papers have been worked up, and once Snook’s lawyer has looked over the purchasing agreement, if all conditions are agreed upon, the town will once again be the owners of one of the town’s most iconic buildings.

“I just think it’s part of Summerdale,” said mayor pro-tem Myles Bishop. “I mean, it’s always been there. It would be a tragedy to let it get away from us.”