Despite arguments from opponents, the Norwich city council has voted to demolish a historic building downtown.
the Reid & Hughes building has been empty for at least 20 years and is on the brink of collapsing
But some were opposed to tearing it down.
Those in favor of the demolition said there have been several unsuccessful attempts to restore it and now it's too structurally unstable.
"The building inspector took me in there about a month ago and it's -- the mold, the instability of the floors, the fact that the ceiling has come through to the basement," said Alderwoman Joanne Philbrick.
But others, like members of the Norwich Heritage Trust, said the building is listed on the national and state Registers of Historic Places. They even started an online petition that's about 200 people strong.
"Norwich has a lot of beautiful historic buildings. We lost several of them. We think it is one of the best features that we have in our town. We want to keep them," said Susan Masse, vice president of Norwich Heritage Trust.
Local
Council members said The Women's Institute of Housing and Economic Development has come forward with a plan to redevelop the building, but some claim it's still too preliminary.
On Monday the city council voted 5-2 to move forward with demolition, City Council President Peter Nystrom said. The vote allows the city to request bids for the demolition process and post a warning that the building is coming down.
