The City of Mt. Carmel is expected to close Monday on the purchase of the Little Egypt Arts Center at 500 and 502 Market Street. At this past week’s city council meeting, city attorney Brady Waldroup said everything is in order for the closing to be finalized Monday. Mayor Joe Judge said the city intends to demolish the 502 Market Street building at look to preserve the 500 Market Street building for potential retail space.

Meanwhile, Mt. Carmel resident Terry McGregor spoke at a recent City Council meeting expressing concerns about the Little Egypt Arts Center at 5th and Market Streets, less than a block away from his home. McGregor complained that music from the arts center is too loud and plays well into the night. He also brought up rumors he had heard that the soon to be displaced arts center will be moving to the former Mt. Carmel Cleaners location in the 400 block of Market Street. If that happens McGregor said the back door of the arts center would open into the back yard of his residence. Little Egypt owner John Clancy was at the meeting and apologized to McGregor about the music and he would remedy the situation. Clancy also confirmed that since he had sold his buildings to the city for $15,000, he would be moving the business, but didn’t confirm McGregor’s information about moving just up the street.

On a related note, Clancy said due to his relocation, the Lone Ranger Festival he had planned for this summer has been scrapped with hopes of it starting in 2023.