As a sign of its impending demise, the windows and iconic blue and yellow panels that marked the decades-old former Employment Security Building in Concord’s downtown began to come down this week.

Starting on the vacant building’s top floor, crews are working from the inside to remove the exterior panels. Fencing around the site is protecting pedestrians and cars parked on South Main Street from debris.

In April, the Concord Planning Board approved the John J. Flatley Company’s plan to demolish the current structure and build 64 apartment units at 32-34 S. Main St.

Project plans include a six-story building with a fitness center, a ground-level parking garage, a pool and a pergola. Construction could be completed as soon as spring or summer of 2023.

The city purchased the building from the state in 2014 for $1.575 million. The sale and development process since has proceeded in fits and starts. A previous deal with Dol-Soul Properties fell through, and last fall, the discovery of additional asbestos on the building’s exterior delayed the closing date with the Flatley Company.

In all, Concord has poured $2.65 million into the property. After fees, grants and a final sale price of $350,000 from Flatley, the city’s net investment will be about $1.6 million.

The building – known for its dated facade with a grid of blue and yellow panels interspersed with equal-sized windows – was often criticized as an eyesore in the city’s downtown.

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