When Troy Mayor Jimmy Lunsford was handed the keys to the old Army Reserve Center Tuesday morning, it was a bittersweet moment.

“We’re pleased that since this Army Reserve is no longer in use, the city is able to take the building, but we’re also a little sad because the Army Reserve was here for so many years and offered so many jobs,” Lunsford said.

The old Army Reserve building on the Elba Highway was originally donated to the U.S. Army in the 1950s, with the condition it would be returned to the city if the location became vacant.

James Wagoner, attorney with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the notice to move the Army from Troy was announced in 2005 and went into effect earlier this year.

Lunsford said the city hasn’t determined how it will use the vacant building.

“We haven’t made a decision for it at this point in time,” Lunsford said. “This is a very prime piece of property.”

Lunsford said this city will have the property value assessed before making any decision.

“We’re going to get an appraisal on it and see what the value is because we don’t have a value on it in the deed,” Lunsford said.