BROWNSVILLE, Tenn. — It wasn’t the Battle of Jericho, but there was a wall that was “tumblin’ down” in Brownsville, Tennessee.
The concrete block retaining wall behind several historical buildings has been deteriorating, and now some said posed a safety hazard and a threat to property.
Brownsville’s mayor has put a priority on fixing the wall, but that came with a hefty price tag.
While folks were wondering who would pay for repairs, property owner Bill Mann said he just wanted something done sooner rather than later.
“I’ve gone through and re-supported everything, but that still can’t stop “Mother Nature’s” wrath. Especially when you have a retaining wall fail,” said Mann.
He had a right to be worried.
The crumbling cinder block wall was all that was keeping a mountain of earth from rolling onto the 109-year-old building he owned on East Main Street.
“I’ve put tens of thousands of dollars into trying to renovate the property. And it seems like everything I’ve put into it could be destroyed with a matter of seconds,” he said.
Brownsville Mayor Bill Rawls said the collapsing wall was a serious problem that could cost almost $53,000 to fix.
Mayor Rawls believed the wall to be a disaster waiting to happen.
The question however was, who would foot the bill for repairs?
“We have gas lines exposed, we have electrical lines exposed and the compromising of the foundations of the buildings. So we just have to step up to the plate and do something about it,” said Mayor Rawls.
He said the wall was city owned at one end and privately owned at the other end.
The city, he said, would start making the repairs and has reached an agreement with property owners to help with the expense.
Mann said he’s okay with that.
“Every year we pay the property taxes and everything. So I just hope my tax dollars go to help fix this problem,” he said.
The emergency project came just as downtown Brownsville was undergoing a three-part, multi-million dollar facelift to its historic square and downtown area.
Mann said all that would mean nothing if the wall continued to tumble down.
“I would hate to see these businesses up the hill here, topple on top of mine and bring mine down with it,” he said.