[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]
Volunteers Dedicate Time to Cleaning Out Tepper's
(December 13, 2007) Over the past 10 weeks Freedom Foundation volunteers have donated more than 1,000 hours to cleaning out the inside of the Tepper’s building and preparing it for new construction to begin. Removing more than 4,000 cubic yards of trash, broken furniture, metal and debris has been a dirty and tedious job for the volunteers who spend nights and weekends working on the demolition of the 60,000 square foot interior.
Nearly 30 foundation volunteers will work this Saturday to finish the removal of rotten wood and flooring from the basement of the building. The clean up of the interior has progressed at a slow but steady pace because the foundation has utilized volunteer labor rather than hiring contractors.
“The Tepper’s building is a historic landmark in Selma. The Freedom Foundation bought this building with the intention of restoring it and giving it back to the city as a gift and beacon of hope and light,” said Mark Duke, President. “We started by removing the aluminum siding off the building, and we have been working with our architect on carefully planning for the restoration and renovation of the building. It is a slow process, but we are evaluating at the long term impact this will have in the community and want to do it right.”
A.J. Page, has volunteered his architecture services to the project. “This historic building, along with its Romanesque architecture, was on the verge of being lost forever due to water and termite damage. We are taking every precaution to restore and preserve the architecture, structure and history of the building. It takes great care and time sorting through all the years and uses of the building and surveying the damage to know exactly how to restore it properly. We are taking one calculated step at a time to ensure this building and the life we are creating within it will last for generations to come,” said Page.
“We are glad that we get to be a part of bringing life back the downtown and historic districts of Selma. The Tepper’s building is going to be beautiful when it is complete,” said Duke.
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Selma, AL 36701
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