Aberdeen Public Utilities to get larger space for workers, customers
The city has purchased the Stevens Auction Company property
ABERDEEN, MISS. (WCBI) – Aberdeen Public Utilities will soon have a larger space to work out of. The city has purchased the buildings and land owned by a longtime businessman.
Dwight Stevens is making sure everything is ready and in place for what will be the final auction from his company’s headquarters on North Meridian Street.
“We will be selling all the things here, and then cleaning, we’ve been cleaning out our warehouses, it will be a big auction, a long auction,” Stevens said.
The city of Aberdeen has purchased the five buildings and nearly four acres that have been home to the Stevens Auction Company since 2006. It will become the new headquarters for Aberdeen Public Utilities, making things more efficient for the electric company, and customers.
“We’re all tickled because it’s more room, more space we can all spread out, do what we need to do, get all equipment under one roof. It’s taxpayer dollars, and they pay for the equipment and stuff and we want to be better protective of it,” said LaMarcus Thompson, general manager of Aberdeen Public Utilities.
The city considered building new headquarters for the public utilities, but that would have cost at least six million dollars. The city purchased the Stevens Auction property for a lot less than that.
Stevens Auction will move to East Commerce, the old B, and B Furniture Store. Dwight Stevens has been active in Aberdeen for years, helping revitalize the downtown and spruce up Acker Park. He says those efforts will continue.
“We have been involved in a lot of things, sprucing up downtown, Save Aberdeen Landmarks, a nonprofit group and now our project is in the park, it belongs to the city and we’re trying to do a lot of things to help Aberdeen and help it progress,” Stevens said.
After this weekend’s auction, the main building will be cleared out, and the city can then take possession and make any needed renovations.
There is no timeline on when the city will have the new headquarters ready.
