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The lot at 111 N. Gilmer St. recently was cleared as part of the clean up of the downtown Lexington buildings owned by Rick Hawkins. He also owns 110, 112, 114, 116 and 118 West Main Street. (Dink Nesmith/ The Oglethorpe Echo
Rick Hawkins has started to clean up his properties in downtown Lexington.
Debris, junk and overgrown shrubbery recently was cleared from the exterior of the building at 111 N. Gilmer St., just off Main Street.
While Lexington City Councilman Ronnie Boggs said this is a step in the right direction, that property isn’t one of the five lining Main Street that the council has addressed in meetings and proposed legal action.
"From the city standpoint, we appreciate anytime a citizen takes the initiative to clean up their property," Boggs said. “It’s like, I come to your house and you know, your yard is knee deep in weeds and everything else, and we say you need to do something about this. And what do you do? You cut your backyard.”
Katherine Clarke, Hawkins’ spokesperson, said Charles Roberts of CSR Construction will handle construction on the six properties in Lexington, which include 110, 112, 114, 116 and 118 West Main Street, in addition to the building on North Gilmer Street.
“We have several more buildings to work on,” Clarke said. “I think we’re actually on building No. 2 of our series, and we still will be backtracking back and forth to work on some of the buildings that we’ve got the roofs repaired on.”
Hawkins has owned the properties since 1994, according to Oglethorpe County property tax records. They are valued between $12,900 and $43,600 each, according to 2023 records.
Building inspections last spring revealed structural damage, so the city put warning signs on the doors and windows, and closed the sidewalk in front of the buildings. They were listed for sale in The Oglethorpe Echo and on Facebook Marketplace last year.
“We are grateful for the ongoing assistance and patience of the Lexington City Commission, especially (Mayor) Craig Snow, who has gone out of his way to make this a really good working relationship,” Clarke said.
Linda Parish, the tourism director for Oglethorpe County, said she has seen workers on the roofs of Hawkins’ properties.
Boggs said he is glad to see repairs being done, but he hopes to see work on the facades.
“Our concern is more the properties that are in violation of international building codes that might also be hazardous to our citizens and people that are walking on the sidewalks of Lexington,” Boggs said.