Walker State prisoners renovating former Ringgold city hall

The former city hall building that sits behind First Baptist Church of Ringgold is under construction.

The building was hit by the April 27 tornado and the city of Ringgold approved for prison laborers to begin renovations. Walker State prisoners are being transported by bus daily to provide free labor over the next three months.

“We need to take advantage of the storm and make something better,” said Ringgold Mayor Joe Barger. “The old city hall building is demolished. Right now we are getting the roof off. Once we get it off, we will look at how to do the inside.”

Barger said Travelers Insurance will provide up to $143,387 to replace the 60-by-30-foot building. But with prison labor the cost to rebuild the building will be less.

Ringgold City Manager Dan Wright said the city could use the opportunity to take the lead in rebuilding in a more attractive manner. He said now is the time to move load-bearing walls to make the building more like an office.

“We will go back to the original brick on the front,” said Georgia Department of Corrections Engineering Construction Services’ John Propes. “We will remodel the inside and add a hallway and move the conference room over instead of in the middle. What will be left is the exterior walls and everything else will be new.”

Barger said the prisoners are great to work with and do a good job.

“Coming out and working gives the inmates a little bit of freedom, so they benefit and the city benefits,” said Propes.

The former city hall is owned by the Ringgold Downtown Development Authority, which rents the building to Lighthouse Foster Care.

Architect Raymond Clark is assisting with the new design of the former city hall building.

Barger said he hopes the next project will be to replace the tornado-ravaged pole barn next door to the former city hall. He said city employees need somewhere safe to work on city vehicles.