City to recoup abandoned Georgia-Pacific plant

GLOSTER — Gloster Mayor Billy Johnson says his city will take back the old Georgia-Pacific plywood plant once workers finish cutting up and removing scrap metal.

The mill closed in 2002, leaving 300 people without jobs. It reopened in 2005 and closed again in 2009, this time for good.

Johnson tells the Enterprise-Journal the town owns the 279,000-square foot building and the 15.5 acres it sits on. He says Georgia-Pacific owns an estimated 55 surrounding acres, including an office building.

Johnson says removal of the scrap metal should be completed by year’s end.

Johnson says the city hopes to get somebody in the plant.

He says the city also is interested in buying Georgia-Pacific’s office building across the street.