After almost 20 years of standing empty, a building on Centre Street off downtown has come down.
An excavator tore into the abandoned house at 26 Centre St., which is owned by John Dal Santo, according to city assessing records.
City code administrator Michael Santa said the city has been trying to work with Santo for years to get the building either rehabbed or demolished. The demolition permit was issued last Friday, he said.
While the owner tried to shore the building up, Santa said homeless people and pigeons kept getting in, presenting a safety liability.
“It was fairly unsound,” he said of the building’s condition.
The 2,200-square-foot two-story building was built in 1900.