Marietta ‘eyesore' must be built or torn down, council says

What started as plans for an 8,000-square-foot wedding hall nearly three years ago has turned into an eyesore that’s three times the size.

And now, Marietta officials want the building either finished or torn down.

In essence, that’s what the Marietta City Council told Waleed “Lee” Jaraysi on Wednesday night by directing its city attorney to file a petition with a Cobb Superior Court judge to do just that.

“Marietta’s preference is to have the building finished, but it’s been sitting there since June 2007,” Marietta city attorney Doug Haynie said Friday.

The half-finished building sits on South Marietta Parkway near I-75.

“It has looked … for the last three years, like it does today, which is not acceptable,” Haynie said.

Jaraysi agreed in February 2009 that he would finish the building in 15 months. But that May deadline is fast approaching, and no work has been done.

Jaraysi on Friday told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wasn’t aware of the deadline but that he’s trying to “work it out now” with the city.

“Everything is fine now,” Jaraysi told ajc.com. “We had some timing problems. They’re trying to work with me.”

Jaraysi said he will complete what is now going to be an office building.

“There’s no tearing down, we’re just going to finish it up,” he said.

Haynie said he still plans to file a motion with the court early next week.