- Historical buildings in Valdosta, like Chez What, experienced extensive damage during Hurricane Helene.
- The rising cost of building materials makes restoration an uphill battle.
- Watch the video to hear from neighbors who feel like they've lost a piece of history.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
"I chose this building because it's beautiful... and historical."
That building had been standing in Valdosta since the late 1890s.
Katie Watson has operated Chez What furniture store since 2020.
"I'm going to remember strolling down the aisles and all the life and the memories and the... and the happiness that this store provided so many people."
And now those aisles have been reduced to a pile of bricks.
"Even if we rebuild, which we plan on doing, it will never be the same."
Valdosta is home to many historic sites like our courthouse and our business district.
Many of those sites only experience minor damage during Helene.
Places like Chez What and the brick warehouses downtown weren't so lucky.
With the rising cost of building materials, it's going to be an uphill battle to repair them.
Brick masonry currently costs an average of $9 to $20 per square foot.
Neighbors who love seeing the historic district, like Samantha Schreiber, owner of the Cottonwood Boutique, are sad to see these buildings in such disrepair.
"It was devastating down here, to come on down and see the Chez What building. That was a friend of mine's store."
But Katie is making plans to move forward.
"I spent a couple of days grieving, but I'm not going to remember Chez What like this."
On Monday, Chez What announced a new location on Gornto Road. It will be called the Chez What Collective.
Watson tells me that she plans on opening the Chez What Collective on November first.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
