A multimillion-dollar development project is coming to downtown Demopolis.
H&M Construction Co. LLC is planning to renovate the historic George Building at the corner of N. Walnut Avenue and E. Washington Street, steps away from Rooster Park.
Shawn Hall, managing member of H&M, said the George Building and two other smaller nearby buildings will become the company’s corporate offices. Twenty salaried employees who handle payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable and IT will work in the building, according to Hall.
Hall said he’s not sure of the final cost of the project yet, “but it will be a multimillion-dollar project, that’s for sure.”
“This will be a building we are all proud of,” Hall said. “We have hired architects that understand the value of historic preservation.”
As a condition for moving ahead with the project, Hall said that H&M wanted assurances from the city that they would hold neighboring property owners accountable for maintaining their buildings.
“We don’t want to spend millions of dollars to move downtown, and the buildings around us are falling down,” Hall said. “We’re not looking to hurt any business. We want to keep our investment safe for the future.”
Preventing blight “is a big deal to save downtown,” he said.
The Demopolis City Council Thursday approved a resolution promising to enforce city building ordinances, clearing the way for project.
H&M also wants the city to help them acquire a parking lot for their employees. Demopolis Mayor Woody Collins said he and his staff are working on it.
“I don’t want my employees to walk three blocks in the rain to come to work,” Hall said. He said a parking lot for his employees would free up street parking so patrons can visit downtown merchants.
Hall said he hopes to close on the building “sooner rather than later,” and he hopes they move into the building in the first quarter of 2027.
H&M Construction Co. was founded in 1997 by Jimmy Hall and J.C. McElroy Jr. The company handles major industrial construction projects throughout the Southeast. H&M employs about 700 workers, about 250 of whom are based in Marengo County.
The corporate headquarters moved to Demopolis in 2018, and a fabrication office and shop were established in 2022. All of these facilities are located on Highway 43. The fabrication shop and operations will remain at that location after the corporate office moves downtown, Hall said.
According to a history of the building sent by Hall, the George Building was built in 1872 by George G. Lyon to replace his office after a fire. It was later owned by L.A. George, who covered the original brick with stucco and placed his name on the parapet above.
Other occupants of the corner store were merchant Moritz Long and the Stanhope Brasfield’s Drug Store.
When the city council voted on the enforcement resolution that cleared the way for the project, councilman Hugh Overmyer, who owns the George Building, abstained.
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