AUBURN – Expect the building at the corner of Court and Main streets to start coming down in a couple of weeks.

Crews should wrap up work inside the old buildings at 18 Court St. and at 66-72 Main St. next week, said Community Development Administrator Reine Mynahan. That will clear the way for knocking down the old wood-frame building at 18 Court St. the following Monday, May 19.

“It’s close to the sidewalk and the other buildings, so they’ll be taking care,” Mynahan said. “It should take two weeks to get through that.”

Crews will then move to the gray cinderblock building at 2 Court St., Mynahan said. That building, called the Community Concepts building, will be replaced by a retaining wall this summer.

“Then next year, we’re looking at making it into downtown parking,” Mynahan said. “But we need to get something up there this year to keep the soil from eroding.”

The demolition is part of the redevelopment of the southeast corner of Court and Main streets and the planned expansion of Austin’s Fine Wine and Foods into the buildings at 66-72 Main St.

According to the agreement with developers, American Holdings Inc. will buy those buildings for $145,000, to be paid over 20 years. The city agreed to tear down the wooden frame structure at 18 Court St. to make room for the Austin’s expansion.

The city’s share of work – demolishing the building, stabilizing some of the walls, cleaning up asbestos and extending utility lines to the property – should cost about $170,000.

Developers plan to expand Austin’s Fine Wine and Foods along the first floor of the new property, and develop office space on two floors above it. In all, the project includes 8,350 square feet of leasable space.



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