"This property has always been very blighted.For four decades it's had a long time without utilities connected to it, and it's very unfortunate because it is directly adjacent to Hillcrest Park," Haas said. "So the land on behalf of the land bank, we're just incredibly proud to address blight in our community, but also with this one being right next to a park, we're just happy that we're going to be able to make an impact on the Hillcrest community and all the families and individuals that get to enjoy this park."

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Broome County Land Corporation Announces Demolition First of Five Demolitions - WICZ

The proposed new home of the Oakland A's in Las Vegas remains unbuilt, but recent developments show that work could soon get unde way to house the MLB's newest franchise.

The Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort has been designated as the site for the team's new, $1.5 billion venue on the Vegas strip. According to the Nevada Independent, the hotel is not accepting any bookings after April 1, 2024.

Although MLB baseball is not expected to come to Vegas until 2028, this could mean that construction could soon get underway.

The 35,000 retractable roof stadium will take years to complete. Meanwhile, the Oakland A's lease of their home stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, expires at the end of the 2024 season. For the team that finished with the worst record in the MLB last year, it leaves far more questions than answers.

Several venues have been mentioned as potential place-holder homes for the Athletics. Among them are Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the San Francisco Giants' Triple-A team. Moreover, a consortium of business interests recently erected several billboards in Utah, lobbying for the A's to make the Beehive State their temporary home.

Approval for the move was approved by a unanimous vote put to MLB owners earlier this year. Despite the decision having been made, Oakland Athletics fans remain committed to keeping the team in Oakland and have staged several demonstrations over the past months demanding that owner John Fisher sell the team.

The move follows the NFL's Oakland Raiders, who became the Las Vegas Raiders after a relocation to Sin City in 2020.

When the Oakland A's finally move into their new park on the grounds of the Tropicana hotel, it will mark the first time in over 100 years that the organization will not share the venue with another team.

Whatever comes of the Oakland A's in 2024 and beyond, the focus needs to be on 2024.

With a record of 50-112 in 2023, the A's finished six games behind the Kansas City Royals, who were the second-worst club in baseball. There are indeed plenty of uncertainties, but that should not distract from trying to avoid a disastrous 2024.

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Las Vegas strip's demolition plans seemingly fast-tracked as Oakland A's awaits construction to begin for their new ... - Sportskeeda

Demolition has begun at Engaging Heaven Church on Union Street in New London after a steeple on the 200-year-old church collapsed on Thursday.

A crane was brought in on Friday and there is now a gaping hole where the front of the house of worship stood.

City officials said the entire church will need to be demolished, and it could take several days.

Roads remain closed on Friday after a steeple on a 200-year-old church collapsed on Thursday and officials said they will demolish the two steeples that are left standing.

Firefighters and a structural engineer used a ladder truck to inspect the church from above on Friday afternoon before the demolition started.

Parts of State Street, Union Street and Masonic Street remain closed on Friday. City officials say they're working out issues with traffic and parking downtown.

Engaging Heaven Church owns the downtown New London church, which was built in 1810. An addition was added in 1975, according to property records.

The steeple that toppled Thursday was a local landmark.

"The skyline in the city has permanently changed and we lost a significant piece of history," Mayor Michael Passero said.

From where I live over on Huntington Street, look over the parking garage over here and I could see the steeple. When I looked out this morning, its gone, Ken Sentell, of New London, said.

Its not clear what caused the steeple to collapse. City officials said they are working to preserve as much evidence as possible to help determine the cause.

The mayor went on to say that there are a number of structures the city hopes to inspect following this incident. However, there's no reason to believe any other buildings are structurally compromised.

Passero said it was one of the oldest religious structures in the city.

We've suffered a very serious setback here in downtown New London with the loss of one of the oldest and and certainly one of the most gorgeous religious structures in the city, Passero said.

Engaging Heaven Church said one woman was inside when the church collapsed and she was able to get out safely. No one else was inside.

This image shows what the church looked like before and after the steeple collapsed.

The church is right next to New London City Hall and the Manwaring Building, where Connecticut College students live, and the students have been evacuated.

"Yeah. So, I'm, I'm just sitting on my couch and I hear what sounds like the loudest thunder I've ever heard. And I opened my blinds and see a bunch of dust and rocks rolling down that hill, right there in front of the church. And I kind of got up and ran away from the window thinking that the church was collapsing," Nick Musi, a Connecticut College student, said.

Fifty students were evacuated and have been relocated to the New London Holiday Inn and the New London Red Cross will be helping the students. They will not be able to return to the dorm before demolition is fully complete.

Engaging Heaven Church services will be held at the Garde Arts Theatre this Sunday. After that, the church will utilize the Salvation Army to conduct business.

Human Resources Director Jeanne Milstein said the church serves breakfast and lunch to about 70 people each day. The police department delivered breakfast sandwiches to those in need this morning.

"Our community is so resilient and I cannot even begin to describe the outpouring of support we've received," Milstein said.

People who witnessed the collapse described what they saw.

I was sitting in my car and I heard a huge, thunderous sound. And I looked to my left and when I first looked at the church it was whole and in that split second, the whole middle part of the church just collapsed, Lester Harris, of New London, said.

During a news conference on Friday, Fire Marshal Vernon Saau said the last inspection done at the church was in January 2019. At that time, there were three minor violations that were immediately fixed.

Inspections are supposed to be conducted every two years, but the pandemic "threw a wrinkle in the inspection process," according to the mayor.

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Historic New London church to be completely demolished after steeple collapse - NBC Connecticut

Warren Scott DEMOLITION PLANNED Toronto officials have announced plans to demolish the Cooper building at 300 Market St. and hope to secure funding for a small amphitheater on the remaining lot.

TORONTO With a large building on Market Street slated for demolition, city officials hope to secure funds to create a small amphitheater at the site.

On Monday, Bill Lucas, chairman of the citys planning and zoning commission, advised council the Jefferson County Land Bank has made plans to demolish the former Cooper Hardware building at 300 Market St. and is in the process of surveying the property, which it acquired through a sheriffs tax auction, and having the three-story structure inspected for asbestos.

Mayor John Parker said its structure is in poor condition, with a collapsing roof and other issues.

He said one concern that was raised was whether a large mural on its east wall can be preserved.

Commissioned by the Toronto Coalition for Revitalization, the mural pays tribute to military veterans, bearing the words, All Gave Some. Some Gave All.

Parker said officials with the land bank enlisted an architect to determine whether that section of wall could be maintained. But he said it was determined The cost of trying to save that would be astronomical and theres no guarantee it would remain intact.

The mayor said instead, ways to photograph the mural and reproduce it, in some form, elsewhere are being considered.

Parker and Councilman Michael Glenn, who chairs the citys buildings and grounds committee, said a long-term goal is to establish a small amphitheater on the remaining lot in honor of former mayor Bob Wilson.

I think it will tie together our downtown area, said Parker, who noted removing the Cooper building will improve visibility for the Veterans Victory Pavilion across from it on North Third Street.

The park is the site of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which was the first American monument to World War I veterans when it was commissioned in 1919.

Coalition President George Komar, who was called for comment, was asked whether the amphitheater might be used for the weekly community concerts held by the group in the summer.

The concerts have been held in the Gazebo Commons, which are just southeast of the Cooper building.

Komar said its difficult to say until details are available, but he had an idea for preserving the veterans mural.

He said a photo of it could be reproduced on a large vinyl banner by a local billboard company and possibly displayed on a building near North Third Street.

Also on Monday:

Council approved a resolution expressing sympathy to the family of former councilman Jay S. Smith, who died on Dec. 3 at the age of 94.

Council President Frank McEwen noted he worked with Smith while serving as the citys fire chief.

Mr. Smith was always a great guy to work with. He was always willing to work with all of the city employees, McEwen said, adding Smith listened to their concerns and kept a level head at all times.

William Scalley, the citys safety director, said, He was probably one of the nicest guys you could meet. He was just an all-around great guy.

It was noted Smith also was a long-time employee of the Toronto School Districts custodial and maintenance department and active in the Sunrise Seniors group and St. Francis Catholic Church.

Councilman Michael Burkey, who chairs the finance committee, noted the citys police department has been awarded a grant for new body cameras to be worn by its officers.

The office of Gov. Mike DeWine, has announced $19,347 was awarded to the Toronto department, one of 108 law enforcement agencies for which nearly $4.8 million in grants were awarded through the states Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera program.

City Police Chief Charley Daniels said he had hoped to receive about $42,000 to replace 11 cameras that are showing wear from 10 years of use, but the grant is expected to cover seven of them, for which hes thankful.

Parker applauded Daniels and Sgt. Peter Morris for securing the grant.

Councilman Ron Holmes said he contacted American Electric Power about several streetlights that werent functioning and they have been addressed, adding hes since observed a few others that he will report.

Holmes also reported Toronto school officials found water leaking into the pre-school office of the Karaffa Recreation Center, have attributed it to wind damage to the buildings roof and are looking into the roofs warranty.

Parker said the roof was replaced before the school district transferred the building to the city.

Since then, the former school has been used as a recreation center while the school district retained some space for its pre-school program.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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Demolition in the works for Toronto building, amphitheater eyed for site - The Steubenville Herald-Star

Demolition by neglect fells historic Miami building long designated for protection  Miami Herald

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Demolition by neglect fells historic Miami building long designated for protection - Miami Herald

January 27, 2024 5:03 pm Last Updated: January 28, 2024 10:21 am

New London The demolition of the historic First Congregational Church in New London began late Saturday morning, as a growing crowd of people watched.

A grapple excavator removed parts of one of the churchs towers and then lowered and dropped the building materials onto the existing pile of rubble from Thursdays steeple collapse. The pile was then sprayed with water from a fire hose.

No one was injured in the steeple collapse on Thursday afternoon. A secretary was inside the building at the time, but got out safely.

On Saturday morning, people took photos and videos and talked about the church, as the remaining parts of the structure started to be demolished.

New London resident Christine Derham, who was among the people watching the demolition Saturday morning from Union and State streets, said it was sad to see the demolition of the church that served as a community hub where people could get meals, if they needed them, and to see a piece of history gone.

The church was a sight she has seen every day since moving to New London about a decade ago.

This is so much a part of the city, Derham said of the church. This is something I see every day walking the dog.

Derham said there are no words to describe how something that looked so solid could just fall over as it did on Thursday, but thank goodness no one was injured.

New London residents Goose Wallace and Jake Fitzpatrick were relieved that no one was injured in Thursdays collapse, which was their top concern.

The friends were talking earlier Saturday morning about how many memories the church held for people, who celebrated weddings or got meals there, and hoped some of the materials could be salvaged to preserve those memories.

I think that seeing all the old architecture is really intriguing but its also very sad to see all the hard work that so many people put into it just be turned to dust a little bit, said Wallace, who noted that a cross-section of the church was visible due to the demolition.

Wallace, who recently moved to New England, added that the collapse raises the question of how many other buildings are a day away from a potential collapse.

New London Mayor Michael Passero was on scene watching the demolition.

The reality is really starting to sink in that we've lost an incredible historic asset in the city, Passero said. But also just looking at the way this building is crumbling, falling apart, its just a revelation that probably in the city and all over the state there are buildings in this condition that are going to have to be addressed.

Weve already begun talking about how were going to be able to obtain inspections on other substantial structures like this that could possibly pose a risk to the publics safety, he added.

By a little before 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the right tower was knocked about three quarters of the way down, and work was being done on the left tower, closer to the Manwaring Building, according to Fire Marshal Vernon Skau.

By early evening, a significant part of both towers had been demolished.

Skau said demolition is expected to continue Sunday and through the week.

The cause of the collapse of the church steeple remains under investigation, he said.

k.drelich@theday.com

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Demolition of First Congregational Church in New London begins - theday.com

OSHA, National Demolition Association Extend Partnership for Worker Safety  Occupational Health and Safety

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OSHA, National Demolition Association Extend Partnership for Worker Safety - Occupational Health and Safety

Construction crews in South Carolina have 'unearthed' a piece of history while preparing for the future in one city.(Above video is the Friday morning headlines for 1/26/24.)The city of Spartanburg posted a photo on social media showing an ornate piece of what city officials called "an iconic column capital from the 1914 City Hall."The discovery that officials said was a "bit of a surprise" came as crews were preparing to demolish the current city hall at 145 W. Broad St. to make way for a new one.More news: SUV crashes into Cracker Barrel. See the video of the damage."The piece was buried by work crews after demolition of the former City Hall building in the late 1950s," Christopher George, the city's communications manager, said. "That building was located next to the current City Hall building, which is slated to be demolished itself in the coming months."Crews began this week testing the land, starting mitigation on the old building that will lead to demolition, officials said Monday during the last city council meeting in the building.Here's more from that last meeting.The 1914 city hall building is depicted on the city's seal. See photo below.As for what will be done with this historic find?"Currently, the piece is in storage, and we will work with the library and local history organizations to figure out a suitable future for the piece, which we would love to see displayed for the public in some capacity," George said.Officials said demolition of city hall should start sometime this summer.More news: Greenville restaurant announces it will close Saturday

Construction crews in South Carolina have 'unearthed' a piece of history while preparing for the future in one city.

(Above video is the Friday morning headlines for 1/26/24.)

The city of Spartanburg posted a photo on social media showing an ornate piece of what city officials called "an iconic column capital from the 1914 City Hall."

The discovery that officials said was a "bit of a surprise" came as crews were preparing to demolish the current city hall at 145 W. Broad St. to make way for a new one.

Instagram/City of Spartanburg

More news: SUV crashes into Cracker Barrel. See the video of the damage.

"The piece was buried by work crews after demolition of the former City Hall building in the late 1950s," Christopher George, the city's communications manager, said. "That building was located next to the current City Hall building, which is slated to be demolished itself in the coming months."

Crews began this week testing the land, starting mitigation on the old building that will lead to demolition, officials said Monday during the last city council meeting in the building.

Here's more from that last meeting.

The 1914 city hall building is depicted on the city's seal. See photo below.

As for what will be done with this historic find?

"Currently, the piece is in storage, and we will work with the library and local history organizations to figure out a suitable future for the piece, which we would love to see displayed for the public in some capacity," George said.

Officials said demolition of city hall should start sometime this summer.

More news: Greenville restaurant announces it will close Saturday

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South Carolina: Historic find 'unearthed' in city hall demolition - WYFF4 Greenville

Upshur County Commission selects company for demolition of buildings near courthouse  My Buckhannon

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Upshur County Commission selects company for demolition of buildings near courthouse - My Buckhannon

Demolition of a commercial building in Los Altos that was badly damaged in a three-alarm Christmas Day fire began Wednesday.

A contractor's crew started tearing down the roof and second story of the building in order to make it safe for investigators with the Santa Clara County Fire Department to get inside and determine what caused the fire.

"The roof has collapsed, so that collapse might cause more collapse," Santa Clara County Fire Department Capt. Matt Mokhtarian said. "We are going to dismantle this building from the top down. That will allowa safe environment with hopefully no overhead obstructions for the firefighters and the investigators to complete that investigation."

El Camino Real between San Antonio Road and Sherwood Avenue was closed as a result of the fire and will remain off limits to traffic until the demolition is complete.

The fire was reported at 4:48 a.m. Dec. 25 at the two-story, roughly 20,000 square foot building at 4600 El Camino Real.

No injuries were reported.

NBC Bay Area's Marianne Favro contributed to this report.

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Demolition starts on burned commercial building in Los Altos - NBC Bay Area