Last week, the destruction of the old Mississippi National Guard Armory, located on the corner of University Avenue and Bramlett Boulevard, was halted. Most of the building was demolished, except for the structure’s foundation. Now, there are plans to turn what is left of the building into a pavilion.
Oxford Director of Public Works, Bart Robinson, is in charge of the transformation process.
“The building was outdated and in a state of disrepair,” Robinson said. “The city clerk saw the state of the demolition and contacted me with the idea, realizing that the board had discussed building a pavilion on the site.”
Currently, it is unknown what is going to be done to turn the structure into a working pavilion, but it will take an estimated $100,000. Robinson said a few of the initial thoughts were to add a new roof, lighting, fans and landscaping.
“The pavilion will be open to the public, but details of the availability have not been determined,” Robinson said. “I will work to provide a plan to the Board of Aldermen.”
The building has served many functions like a headquarters for state highway patrolmen and most recently an O.U.T. transit.
Robinson said no set schedule has been determined for when the pavilion will be completed.
“Until we are sure what will have to be done to the structure, there is no way to set a time frame,” he said.
