LEWISTON – Windy weather delayed demolition work Tuesday on the fourth fire-damaged Lisbon Street building due for destruction.

Crews need to remove the metal facade on the Lisbon Street side of the New England Furniture building before they can begin tearing it down, according to Phil Nadeau, deputy city administrator.

“With the high winds we’ve had today, it doesn’t look like that will happen,” he said.

Crews from Costello Dismantling Co. Inc. concentrated on removing debris from the three buildings south of the New England Furniture Building: the Cressey, Kora and Greely buildings. All three were damaged by a Dec. 19 fire and condemned by the city. Demolition of the three buildings began Dec. 22.

Nadeau said the city had considered opening one lane of Lisbon Street on Wednesday. That won’t happen now.

“The high winds really caused this delay,” he said. “If the weather had cooperated, we’d be much farther along in knocking (the New England Furniture Building) down and we’d be closer to opening Lisbon Street. Now, it looks like we’ll wait and see.”

Nadeau said the Centreville Parking garage along Canal Street will reopen Wednesday. That garage has been closed since the fire.

“There might be one or two spaces roped off, but the garage should be open,” he said.

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