By Josh Davis, Associate Editor

(March 8, 2018) While Pocomoke City Planning Director Dan Brandewie said on Monday he was pursuing grants to rehabilitate the old armory building, some residents are apparently already putting in work to make the gym usable for children’s programs.

Conditions inside the building, however, are not favorable and several City Council members expressed concerns.

“I hope we can begin a dialog on how to proceed with the armory and its potential new use,” Brandewie said. “The armory has sat vacant for several years now. It’s going to be costly, I think, to fix that up.”

He said the buildings needs a structural analysis, roof repairs and new windows, and potentially has lead, asbestos and mold inside.

“Letting it sit there, in my opinion, is not an option for the community,” he said. “Hopefully, we can find some matching [grant] resources to go after.”

Councilwoman Diane Downing said a 2012 survey letter suggested renovations would cost $1 million to $1.5 million.

Downing added she received calls this week that “somebody has already been in there, cleaning up.”

“I’m talking about people in the neighborhood – citizens,” she said. “Nobody should be in there, pulling up tiles or cleaning up, or any of that stuff. People have come to me and called me – a lot. It’s the most calls I’ve gotten in a while.”

City Manager Bobby Cowger said a local Save the Youth group approached the town about using the gym for basketball games.

“They contacted us about using that, just to go in there and play basketball on some nights and some weekends, to get the kids off the streets and have someplace to use,” he said.

“They were willing to go in there and all they did was clean the gymnasium up,” Cowger continued. “There was about six or seven or eight of those guys and some kids that went in there, and they swept the floor and picked up the trash just so they could be able to use the gymnasium. They haven’t used the gymnasium yet.”

He said the city had not yet given clearance to use the gym, adding, “I don’t think there’s any question we need to get somebody to do an air test … we certainly don’t want any liability, not only that we don’t want any kids or anybody getting sick.”

Downing agreed children in Pocomoke needed a place to go.

“I think the children need something so they can get off the street, but I just don’t want anybody to go in there and be sick – or die,” she said. “And it’s a liability on the city.”

Councilwoman Esther Troast asked to postpone public use of the building until it is deemed safe.

Brandewie asked members of the council and the community to send letters of support for rehabilitating the building to the town and his office, and to the county commissioners and state representatives. He said community encouragement was vital to receiving grant money.

“Letters of support are very much needed to bring this facility back to life, so we’re encouraging everyone, if they could, to write letters of support,” he said.