Fire ripped through downtown but Court Square project is still a "go"

On Oct. 6 a tragic fire destroyed the Court Annex building on Court Square and left only three walls of First United Methodist Church standing, but the damage to the Lowenstein/Rhodes Jennings building and Lincoln American Tower on Court Square was less than first thought.
Developers C. Yorke Lawson and William Chandler have told City Council members that the Lowenstein and Lincoln American buildings are structurally sound enough to be saved and that the redevelopment project can go forward.
Three walls of First United Methodist still stand, and the church is getting bids on what it will take to save them. As the clean-up continues, the church is holding Sunday services in the Barry Building auditorium at St. Jude.