By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — The former Gettys Middle School site has officially been declared an abandoned property.

During its June 8 meeting, Easley City Council passed a resolution certifying that the property located at 105 Stewart Drive is an abandoned building site.

“We have somebody that’s submitted site plans to turn this property into apartments,” city administrator Stephen Steese said.

The South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act was created to “incentivize redevelopment of abandoned buildings,” he said.

“To meet that, 66 percent of the buildings have to be abandoned and closed for business for five years,” Steese said. “As we know, this property was never used for business. It was an institutional use as a middle school. Since the developers have bought the property, they have signed an affidavit stating no business operations have occurred on this site for the past five years.

“Through our licenses and permits, we can find no business that occurred at this site for the last five years,” he continued. “We’re asking council to certify it as abandoned under the South Carolina Abandoned Buildings Revitalization Act so they can access tax credits for revitalizing this property.”

Apartments are “a good use for the property,” Councilman Kent Dykes said.

“Are they going to tear it down, or are they going to remodel it as is?” he asked. “Do we know?”

The current plan is “to demolish the buildings onsite and rebuild,” Steese said.

City building official Tommy Holcombe said plans call for 220 apartments at the site.

Council passed the resolution unanimously. Councilman Terry Moore was absent.

Earlier this year, council approved rezoning the former middle school site from R-10 to GR2. All schools in the city are zoned R-10.

That rezoning will allow the apartments to built on the site.