ROCKDALE, Texas (KRHD) — Construction crews are continuing demolition of a historic building Monday, formerly known as McVoy's Feed and Fertilizer, in Rockdale.
- The downtown Rockdale building, formerly known as McVoy's Feed and Fertilizer, is being demolished after it collapsed in May.
- According to new owner of the land and the owner of Perry & Perry Builders/ Erectors construction Lin Perry, lack of repairs and neglect caused the roof to hold water until it gave way.
- The family-owned store served the community for over 50 years until being sold in 1999.
- There is no plan for the land once it's clear, but crews are hoping to finish demolition by July 4.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
It's a bittersweet end to a family legacy for Melanie Todd.
"It's like it was sad that the building did fall, but I'm glad to see that they're cleaning up the area," she said.
Construction crews are tearing down what's left of McVoy's.
It was her family's former grocery and feed store.
"Mcvoy's was a community gathering place for the people of the town," Todd said.
The building collapsed in May after heavy rains.
But before, the building stood as a late hotel in the 1800s.
Then, served as one of Melanie's first jobs until 1999.
"They would come into town usually on the weekend to buy feed for their animals and to buy groceries. We were like a market. We had a meat market, and I guess we were kind of like an early farmer's market like what people go to now," Todd said.
I reached out to Lin Perry, the new owner of the land and owner of the construction company doing the tear-down, to see if they had any plans, but says the crew is just removing the building ahead of Rockdale's 150th birthday celebration.
So I asked Melanie what she's thinking should be done.
"If you had any, I guess, suggestions or ideas for what that space could be turned into, what would that be?"
"I hadn't really thought that much about it because the family sold the business in 1999, so it would ultimately be the business owner that has it now that would have to make that decision — either sell that a lot to someone that could renovate the building or put something else there because it's a prime location in downtown," Todd said.
