By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@thecitizennews.com

Restoration work on the Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House, the centerpiece of Fayetteville's efforts to preserve city history, is a step closer with the appointment of a firm to oversee the work.

The Downtown Development Authority Tuesday morning authorized Chairman Al Hovey-King to sign a contract with architects Carter Watkins Associates, pending review by the city attorney. The firm will receive 6 percent of overall costs to oversee the work.

If all goes well, Hovey-King said, bids for the work could go out by early summer with restoration beginning by late summer or early fall.

The city has budgeted $250,000 to get the ball rolling, but Hovey-King said city officials aren't expecting to get the whole job done for that.

“We feel we can make significant progress on this project, but we know that this will not be enough to complete a historical restoration.

It's hoped that the house can be structurally stabilized and all exterior renovation completed, and heating and air, plumbing and electrical work can be done.

Carter Watkins is well qualified to oversee the job, said Hovey-King. The company has “a fairly extensive record of doing historic renovations,” he said, including several historic courthouses and libraries.

The circa 1855 home is famous for having been occupied by relatives of famed gunslinger “Doc” Holliday, as well as a procession of local and statewide political leaders.

City leaders plan to use it as a tourist attraction and museum. Tour of the home currently are conducted for groups, but it will be closed during much of the renovation work.

In other business Tuesday morning, the Downtown Development Authority discussed its street scape project around the Courthouse Square, which includes period street lights and brick sidewalks.

“We hope to put that out to bid shortly,” said Hovey-King, “with construction beginning in early summer. That'll really make a difference too,” he added.

The group also discussed the city's search for someone suitable to take ownership of the historic Dorsey house, which is in the path of construction of a new Fayette County Jail and courthouse. The city is willing to give the house to anyone with a suitable plan to use it as a home or business in the downtown area, but no luck so far.

For information on the house, phone 770-461-6029.