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As many are aware, a parapet wall collapse and other structural issues caused the building at 71 South Main Street – across from Erika’s Vocal Studio and at the intersection of E. Lexington Avenue – to be condemned.

At a City Commission meeting in November, demolition by neglect was approved, with a planned date for the period between after Christmas and New Years’ Day.

However, plans were delayed as a new contractor was sought and other matters developed.

Adam Kidd, COO of Dam Holdings LLC and leader in the demolition efforts, recently communicated updates.
“We are working quickly to finalize the last of our planning regarding the demolition of 71 South Main Street,” he shared via email.

Tentatively, closure of Lexington Avenue from Main Street to Church Alley will begin on Monday, February 12 and remain until March 1 at the very latest.

“We hope that we will not need this entire block of time but also want to be realistic and have the appropriate amount of time to handle unforeseen obstacles,” Kidd added.

During the course of the project, Main Street is set to remain open.

On Thursday, Feb. 15th, the demolition crew will begin working to bring down the structure, thus necessitating the parking spaces and northbound lane in front of 71 South Main Street to be closed in order to limit any risks to public safety.

Two-way traffic will continue via the use of a lane shift into the turn lanes.

After Feb. 15th, traffic on Main Street will return to its normal status.

Though temporary inconveniences may be caused, Kidd emphasized security.

“I know that this is not going to be ideal for everyone [sic] or every [sic] business but we have worked diligently to create a work plan to minimize the impact to [the] neighborhood and to the community while still prioritizing public safety and the safety of our work crews,” he said.

Kidd also noted that, while hopefully not the case, changes were a possibility.

“Please take note, as diligent as we have been in planning this project out, the dates may forcefully need to be adjusted,” he wrote. “If this was to occur we will do our best to keep as many up to date as possible. Thank you for your patience during this temporary inconvenience for a long term solution.”