NORWICH--On October 17, the Norwich City Council voted 5-2 to approve funding for demolition of the historic Reed & Hughes building downtown.
The building -- which the city owns -- was built in 1869, and mostly served as a department store. It has been vacant since 1989.
Norwich Alderman Tucker Braddock said the city has unsuccessfully tried to sell the building for years. Braddock said the building is now a safety concern, and the only option the city can afford is to tear it down.
He was told by city engineers that the building could come down on its own if no action is taken.
"The last report we had from them is the fact that this building, under a harsh winter, can implode," said Braddock.
On Monday, the city approved $800,000 for its demolition. Braddock said the cost of rehabilitating the building would be between $5-7 million after tax credits.
But city historian Dale Plummer is leading the charge to save the building.
"If you start tearing down buildings as we've been doing, you start to have big gaps and you start to really look like someone who has had teeth knocked out," said Plummer.
Plummer argues that the city has not effectively marketed the building, and that historic tax credits could make rehabbing the building affordable.
Braddock said the city's next step is to begin taking bids from contractors for the demolition.
