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Main Street Promotes Downtown Support, Cleanup Could Be Lengthy

Murray Main Street is promoting the reopening of downtown Murray following a building collapse late last week, and is asking residents to help support affected businesses. 

Some with businesses on third and Main streets were given permission by structural engineers yesterday to return to buildings not immediately affected by the damage. Properties owners on Fourth Street may not be allowed to return until the damaged building has been fully demolished. 

But Main Street Program Director Deana Wright says police barricades have been keeping customers away all week and it’s putting a strain on the local economy.

“We’re open downtown, ‘downtown Murray is open for business,’ is the promotion we’re doing right now because the economic strain this is putting on businesses," said Wright. "But everybody needs to remember that the downtown businesses are our friends and neighbors and we need to support them in this time of stress and need.” 

Wright says contractors expect to shore up the walls and the downed roof of the collapsed building by Wednesday and then have a structural engineer re-evaluate demolition. If the effort isn’t slowed by weather, contractors expect full demolition to take fifteen days.

Wright says it’s still too early to put a figure on the economic damage and clean-up costs but says putting downtown back on its feet could be lengthy process, taking up to 90 days depending on the success of clean-up.

Rob Canning is a native of Murray, KY, a 2015 TV Production grad of Murray State. At MSU, he served as team captain of the Murray State Rowing Club. Rob's goal is to become a screenwriter, film director or producer and looks to the likes of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie for inspiration. He appreciates good music, mainly favoring British rock n' roll, and approves of anything with Jack White's name on it. When not studying, rowing or writing, Rob enjoys spending his free time with a book or guitar.
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