Beloved bookstore on Murchison Road faces demolition pending City Council hearing
Weeks after losing his mother, Fayetteville native Rudy Edwards may lose his family’s Murchison Road bookstore, too, if the City Council votes Monday to move ahead with a demolition order on the property.
BJ’s Used Books has been open at 4905 Murchison Road for more than 40 years, providing the backdrop to Edwards’ childhood as his parents navigated running one of the only used bookstores in Fayetteville, he said Wednesday. Now, the beloved shop could be demolished due to code enforcement violations from the city.
Edwards left Fayetteville in the ’90s but returned with his sister last year to help their sick mother, he said.
“We both grew up here in the bookstore,” he said.
Edwards said that he believes the violations only comprise cosmetic issues, like a loose board under an awning and overgrown shrubbery, rather than safety concerns.
“It’s not like it’s an unsafe structure,” he said. “If the landlord is so unsafe that it needs to be torn down, I would’ve appreciated a heads-up… But that hasn’t been the case.”
According to Edwards, the building has received various code violations over the years, all of which, he says, have been addressed by the landlord, Alber Treadwell.
“He worked to get them fixed. He may not have been as prompt as he’s supposed to be,” Edwards said. “As far as he knew, he was OK with code enforcement.”
What happened
The situation grew dire roughly two weeks ago when Edwards said he saw two city employees photographing the building.
“I go out and talk to them to see what might be the problem, and the guys taking the pictures are explicit that there’s been code violations on this building … and that the city is going to have a private meeting to put the demolition of this building on the docket on the 27th,” he said.
Edwards said that he immediately notified Treadwell, who told him he was not aware of any ongoing violations.
“He had no idea that there were meetings or a potential demolition was gonna be put on the docket,” Edwards said. “I know he hasn’t gotten any certified letters for it, because his business address is in our building and all of their stuff gets delivered to us.”
Edwards said that if BJ’s is forced to close, the store’s absence will leave a hole in the community. Because the store sells and purchases used textbooks, college students rely on the shop’s affordability, as do elderly customers, he said.
“There is a large percentage of our customers that are on a very limited income that can’t afford to buy new books. The number of widowers that come in here and buy 10 to 20 Westerns a month, they spend a couple of bucks each on them here — they’ll be able to get two each month at Barnes & Noble,” he said. “They’ve been our customers so long that we’ve specifically collected books for them.”
Edwards said he is frustrated that Monday’s meeting does not have a public forum for residents to speak out against the potential demolition.
“You would think that they would have some obligation to give enough notice about something going on the agenda to where people have the chance to speak,” he said.
Regardless, he said, he plans to attend Monday’s meeting and hopes increased attention surrounding the store’s plight could help save it.
City says numerous code violations occurred
Treadwell said Wednesday that he was able to have an “emergency meeting” with Mayor Mitch Colvin on Tuesday and was grateful to the mayor for his help. Treadwell said he is upset that he found out about the potential demolition from Edwards instead of the city, but declined to comment further, citing pending negotiations with the city.
City spokesperson Loren Bymer said Wednesday that Treadwell has been summoned for multiple code enforcement hearings for failure to maintain the building.
“Mr. Treadwell signed for the Dangerous building hearing notice and attended the hearing where he asked for and was given 6 months to make the repairs,” Bymer said via email. “He has called several times regarding the needed repairs and to get extensions.”
Bymer said the property has had an open dangerous building case with the city since Aug. 5, 2022.
According to code enforcement records from the city, the building has had 27 code enforcement violations since 2015, including 11 solid waste violations, eight zoning violations, six substandard building violations and two vehicle violations. The records state those violations generated eight citations, seven summonses and four hearings.
A hearing order dated Nov. 8, 2022, addressed to Treadwell Evangelistic Empowerment Ministries and signed by Housing & Code Enforcement Division Manager James Rutherford, warned the property owner that the building would need to be demolished. The order states that a certified letter was mailed to and posted on the property on Oct. 28, 2022, condemning the building at 4901 Murchison Road.
“This correspondence also informed you of a hearing scheduled on 11/7/2022, to present arguments and evidence pertaining to the matter,” Rutherford said in the order. “The owner did not respond to the hearing notice sent and confirmed by certified mail service. The hearing was conducted and it was established that conditions do exist which constitute a fire, health and/or safety hazard rendering the building dangerous to life, health and other property.”
According to the order, the building’s porch railings, columns, ceilings, walls, roof, trim and the paneling underneath the edge of a roof were in need of repair. The order states the building had to be demolished or repaired by Treadwell within 180 days.
“Failure to abide by this order will result in this department seeking an ordinance for the demolition of this structure from the City Council, the cost of which shall be a lien on the property,” Rutherford said. “In addition, our office may issue you a civil penalty in the amount of $100.00 for each and every day you fail to comply with this order.”
The order includes information on potential programs through the city’s economic and community development department to “assist with repair, demolition and redevelopment” of the property.
Recording reveals more details
In a recording of a Nov. 7, 2022, meeting between Treadwell and Rutherford, Treadwell said he planned to make the repairs.
“We do have some of the materials to do so already,” he said. “It’s just a matter of the ones that could actually help me work regular 9 to 5 jobs and sometimes later than that. My health has not been in the best condition, so I haven’t been able to go over there and monitor like I should.”
Treadwell said in the recording that he did not get a notice until a bookstore employee called him about the notice posted on the door.
Rutherford can be heard asking Treadwell how much time he would need to make the repairs.
“If possible, at least six months,” Treadwell said, noting that his team would likely only be able to work on the property on Saturdays.
Rutherford said he would give Treadwell 180 days to repair or demolish the building from the date of the hearing order he would send. Treadwell can be heard reassuring him that the repairs would be “100% complete” by that time.
The end of BJ's?
Treadwell said Wednesday that his ministry is taking donations in the form of money, materials or labor to try to repair the building.
As Monday’s meeting looms ahead, Edwards said he fears for the future of his family’s shop.
“If the city decides to put a demolition order on the building and we have 10 days to vacate, there will be no surviving of this bookstore in Fayetteville,” he said. “In that worst-case scenario, it’ll be the end of Fayetteville having a used bookstore unless someone else decides to give it a run.”
Got a tip for a follow-up? Government watchdog reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com or 910-481-8526.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville used bookstore on Murchison Road faces potential demolition
