Demolition workers are busy tearing down a building in downtown Durham.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles says Schwartz Construction began the demolition this morning.
The building has been boarded up for the last two months, after a suspicious fire in the middle of March.
Eccles says an engineer’s report showed the walls were not stable due to water damage, and this posed a safety hazard to the community.
The businesses on either side of the burned building will not be affected by the demolition.
Eccles says reports for those two buildings show no structural damage or integrity problems with them.
As for the future of the lot, Eccles says it’s up to the owners whether to build something new, or sell the property.
Eccles says he would like to see something developed as it would benefit Durham’s downtown.
He says council encourages any new project, and will be more than happy to work with a developer to come up with plans.
Eccles expects all the demolition and clean up work to be completed by the end of the week.
