Old Wadlington Hotel on North Foster deeded to city

After more than two years of trying, the city has acquired an old downtown property that is a key element in the revitalization of North Foster Street.

Last month a Barbour County judge settled certain matters of the Ted Bauman Trust, and on Tuesday Dothan City Commissioners accepted the deed to the old Wadlington Hotel property at 171 N. Foster St.

Regions Bank executed a quitclaim deed for the Trust on May 14, giving the property to the city in exchange for $10.

Dothan Planning Director Todd McDonald has been trying to act on the property for years. Property owners were told to either repair the building or it could be condemned and possibly torn down.

Members of the Trust agreed to give the building to the city. It will be turned over to the Downtown Dothan Redevelopment Authority. The DDRA purchased an adjoining building at 161-165 N. Foster – the old Super Bad store – from Elias Dabit.

McDonald said local developer Tommy Tolleson still has an interest in developing the properties in a mix of retail and housing.

“They did some preliminary work and came up with a plan of what it could be,” McDonald said. “The building has some problems. Tommy wants to get inside with some structural people.

“There will be tax credits available for a development. They are looking at their options on getting in and redeveloping the property. The market is there for retail on the bottom and lofts on the top.”

McDonald called the deed transfer “great news.”

“It gets us past the hump, over the hump, what we have been trying to do for longer than the three years I have been here,” he said.

Other properties not developed on that block of North Foster, between East Main and Troy streets, are owned by Dr. Robert Hillman.

“We are not sure what the fate of those properties are,” McDonald said.

Because the use of the property would be changing, both the Bauman and former Dabit buildings would have to be brought up to current fire codes, which would include installing a sprinkler system.

A third property owned by local attorney Don Bennett also adjoins these two buildings. It currently houses a hot dog restaurant.

The development could carry a hefty price tag of several million dollars.