By Staff
To be in former school building
By HELEN SOMMERKAMP
Daily News Correspondent
The former S.W. Snowden Elementary School building in Aurora will soon house the town’s only motel.
The announcement was made Thursday by Tom Thompson, director of the Beaufort County Economic Development Commission, and Omar Bahhur, owner of the property.
During a Thursday meeting of the Committee of 100 at the Aurora Community Center, Thompson and Bahhur told 25 committee members that there are some needed repairs and additions to the building in order to complete the project.
Thompson said that landscaping is a priority in order to make the building more accessible and to solve a water problem at the rear of the stucture. The property, located on the northeast corner of N.C. Highway 306 and Main Street, Aurora, has a drainage ditch that extends between N.C. 306 and the entire front of the building.
Thompson said that the N.C. Department of Transportation will be asked to assist in reaching a solution concerning the ditch.
Bahhur said that one of the largest parts of the project to change the former school building into a motel requires the installation of bathrooms in each room.
He said that while it will be a large project, he wants to see it completed, or almost so, in a year.
Thompson said the proposed ethanol plant for Aurora is seeking new investors and a new manufacturing plant is showing interest in locating near Aurora. Also, he said housing developers are looking at nearby property.
The Committee of 100 will hold its next meeting in Aurora at noon on March 13 in the Aurora Community Center.