Thomasville accepts offer for former police building

By JIMMY TOMLIN PAXTON MEDIA GROUP

THOMASVILLE — Less than two weeks after it went on the market, the former Thomasville Police Department building is under contract.

The contract was signed late Tuesday, and the closing is expected to take place in January, according to Tammy Joyce, the city’s economic development director. The sale price was $300,000, the same amount the city was asking when it listed the historic building for sale with Preservation North Carolina, she said.

“This is an exciting day for Thomasville,” Joyce said. “There’s a lot of passion about that building — a lot of people have stories about their memories of going there.”

The prospective buyer, Tim Tysinger, who grew up in Thomasville, also has fond memories of the West Guilford Street building, which once served as City Hall and housed the police and fire departments, the city library and even the city jail.

Tysinger’s father, Ed Tysinger, worked for the city for nearly 20 years. As director of utilities, he had an office in the building, and his son remembers visiting him there often as a teenager.

Tysinger describes himself as the “executive producer” of the redevelopment project, along with his two sons, John and Zack. Working with them will be veteran developer Brett Krueger, contractor Josh Barnhardt and architect Eddie Belk.

Built in 1938 with funding from the Public Works Administration, the Art Deco-style structure “is considered among the most architecturally outstanding buildings in downtown Thomasville,” according to a description on the Preservation North Carolina website. The building has stood empty, however, since 2020, when the police department moved to its new headquarters on West Main Street.

Tysinger and his team have big plans for the property.

“Redeveloping a historic property requires understanding its past, present and future uses, as well as the area’s needs,” a statement in the redevelopment team’s submitted proposal reads. “Currently vacant, it contributes nothing economically to the downtown area. We foresee a mix of uses that most certainly will include both retail and residential and are exploring additional uses, as well.”

The proposed plans for the approximately 75,000-square-foot facility include a mix of nearly two dozen apartments, corporate housing and retail space, according to the team’s proposal.

Also, the downstairs of the former fire station — the left side of the building, where side-by-side bays once housed city fire engines — will be transformed into a small brewery-style restaurant with upscale food. The front will be upfitted with a glass garage-style door that can be opened during mild weather.

As an added attraction, the developers hope to use one of the city’s vintage fire trucks — currently in storage — to help tell the story of the building’s rich history, Joyce said. Elsewhere in the building, the hallways will artistically display the building’s history, incorporating art and artifacts donated by members of the Thomasville community.

The exterior grounds of the building will include parking areas and possibly an outdoor event space, the proposal states.

Joyce said she was most excited about the plans to honor the building’s history.

“To see that they’re going to keep that heritage, that was the most important thing for me,” she said.