The strip of stores that lined North Maple between West Lytle and West Burton Streets is just a memory, and the old DNJ building that's diagonally across the street is next under the crunching arm.

Now It's Just A Memory

Within a few hours, the structures that had occupied the entire block were all just a memory.

NewsRadio WGNS asked Bill Patterson if he had gone by to watch? The Lamp Gallery owner said, "No, I enjoyed thirty years there and did not want to witness those memories being torn apart." By the way, the Lamp Gallery has moved to 308 East Vine Street.

Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess indicated the demolition of old structures was progressing quickly, and making space for the new Judicial Building as well as multi-story parking garage.

Construction of the new Judicial Building is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016, and completed in 2018. (Below is an architectural rendering of the Judicial Building that will be on the square block of land)

The City of Murfreesboro is currently creating a visually attractive entrance to this new section of the historic district. A large traffic roundabout is being constructed adjacent to the massive bridge that being constructed over Broad. Several older structures were razed a few weeks ago to make room for this part of the project.

The roundabout will connect to Broad, Lytle and College Streets. For those who have lived here awhile, that's where the once popular Red Rose Ice Cream-Dairy was located. That old structure was razed many years ago and green space is there now.