Demolition Permit Filed for Downtown Building at the Center of the 2023 Rezoning Dispute
The Woodruff Times reports that a demolition permit was filed Sept. 24, 2025, for a 13,000-square-foot downtown building whose 2023 rezoning to C4 drew pushback from its owner at the time.
On October 30, 2025, The Woodruff Times reported a new development at a downtown Woodruff property that was at the center of a 2023 rezoning debate. Here is our summary of that reporting.
The permit: According to city records cited by the Times, a demolition permit was filed on September 24, 2025, for a 13,000-square-foot building in the city's central downtown district.
The 2023 rezoning: The Times reports that in 2023 the property was rezoned from retail to C4, a district meant to encourage concentrated development and redevelopment downtown. Per the paper, C4 rules limit some uses, such as drive-through service, and set stricter parking and design standards.
The owner's side: The owner at the time told the Times the new zoning made the building hard to market, including to medical tenants who had shown interest. He reported carrying about $18,000 a month in taxes, insurance and upkeep while it sat empty.
The city's side: City Manager Lee Bailey has said, per the Times, that the rezoning was part of an 18-month effort to update city ordinances that had not been revised since 2005. He said the long-term goal is a lively, mixed downtown of retail, hospitality and office space.
What is known now: The Times reports that the property sold in June 2024 to a buyer who has not been publicly identified. The paper reads the demolition filing as a sign that redevelopment plans may be underway. No site plan for a new use is described in the reporting, so we do not guess at one.
This is a summary in our own words. Read the full story at The Woodruff Times.