Structural issues plague Town of Urbanna building

by Tom Chillemi – 

The Urbanna Town Council voted last month to spend $6,100 to replace rotted wood and to paint the front of the Urbanna Town Hall building. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

At the April 22 meeting, it was noted that the south wall of the building has large cracks and the wall is leaning out, said Town Administrator Garth Wheeler.

The then-town council OK’d renovating part of the second floor, including new windows and some siding, about five years ago.

Mayor Barbara Hartley said that during the town council’s discussion on renovations, it considered demolishing and replacing the building, but that idea was voted down. “So, I think we are stuck at repairing it, repairing it, repairing it until and if we decide to do something different,” said Hartley.

The building was originally a firehouse and later a cinema that showed silent movies. It is at least 100 years old…