Lexington, NC — Some of the Triad’s smaller cities face a similar problem.


Massive, vacant buildings remain in their towns after manufacturing’s exit. One such plant covers four city blocks near Uptown Lexington.

This week city leaders approved the purchase of the former Lexington Home Brands plant.

It’ll cost the city more than $1-million to take control of the building.

City Manager, John Gray, says the contract with Lexington Home Brands gives city leaders four months to research whether or not they can make it work.

“This is a big risk for a town of our size, but we felt in the end it was a bigger risk to let this property fall into the wrong hands and become some of the worst type of urban blight problem which you could imagine.”

The end use of the property if it comes into the city’s hands might not happen for ten years.

City leaders believe that’s still a better outcome than what could happen if the building went uncared for over the next decade.

WFMY News 2