Ringgold revitalization awards bid for historic downtown cemetery
The city of Ringgold recently awarded the bid and started work revitalizing the historic cemetery downtown on Lafayette Street.
After receiving a $5,000 Georgia Tourism Product Development grant in March, the City Council awarded the bid on April 8 to have periodappropriate fencing with an arched entrance gate and a sidewalk to better enhance pedestrian access.
“We did put it out to bid and we’re requesting that we go with Manly Global Inc. for $14,430.63,” City Manager Dan Wright said. “That was the lowest bid based on the specs.”
Wright said that although there are grant funds involved, the city will still have to pay for some of the project out of regular city funds.
“This is not a budgeted item. This is an item that really gained traction at our retreat and then we were able to get the $5,000 grant to make the improvements to the cemetery,” Wright explained. “It was also identified in our tourism product development plan.”
Wright said the grant and money from the city’s fund balance will pay for the project.
During discussion of the bid and the planned work, one resident brought up a rumor about some graves actually extending further than the on-site markers and asked what the city would do if graves were discovered in the ditches along the property where the fence and sidewalks are to be erected.
“If we do find some kind of disturbance, absolutely we will stop and contact the authorities and see what we need to do,” Wright said.
Before the project was resurrected last fall, City Council members and staff past and present planned out upgrades for the location in 2011 before an F-5 tornado struck the city in April of that year causing a lot of projects to be placed on hold.
The cemetery, which has the graves of several Civil War era soldiers, is frequented by history buffs and is also a popular stop on the city’s Ghost Tours during the annual Haunted Depot festivities.