An old warehouse at the center of controversy in Derby for the last few years is on its way down after the roof collapsed Monday afternoon.
Melting snow might have caused the collapse, firefighters said. Nearby business owners, however, said, the building has been falling apart for years.
“It’s kind of expected. The bricks have been falling off, especially in the winter. Recently, we had parts of the roof fall into the alleyway,” Carl Yacobacci, of Derby, said.
The 150-year-old building was once used as a warehouse but has been abandoned for about three years. It was condemned Monday afternoon.
Stoneridge Enterprises bought the building with the intention of redeveloping Main Street, but the town deemed the building blighted and has since canceled their contract with the company.
“We’ve told the owner there was an unsafe situation. He told us no. Obviously we were right. He was wrong,” Derby Mayor Tony Staffieri said.
Firefighters and utility crews turned off the power, water and gas to the building. Demolition could begin as early as Tuesday morning.
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The building’s owner could not be reached for comment.
