NORWAY — Work began Tuesday to replace the dangerous broken windows in the Odd Fellows Hall on Main Street.

Workers from Portland Glass in Paris arrived at the historic structure Tuesday morning to begin replacing the broken windows, some of which had fallen onto the sidewalk.

The action comes shortly after the Board of Selectmen gave the go-ahead to Code Enforcement Officer Joelle Corey-Whitman to bring the owner to court for creating a nuisance and danger with the Main Street building.

Corey-Whitman said she had sent four letters and four emails to Sam Patel of Jasmin LLC in Westbrook since late April advising him the broken windows must be repaired. Glass has been falling on Main Street and in the alley between the hall and the Opera House, creating an “unsafe and hazardous condition” for the public, she said.

In late May, Patel told Corey-Whitman that a glass company has measured the windows and glass had been ordered. He also said he asked a contractor to cover the windows with plywood until the glass could be installed. But, several weeks later, the broken windows in the front were only partially covered with plywood.

Patel, a retailer in southern Maine, purchased the empty, three-story brick building in December from TD Bank. It stands at 380 Main St. next to the Opera House. It was transferred to Patel’s company, Jasmin LLC, a limited liability company registered in Westbrook, on Dec. 14, 2012.

Patel, who owns Sam’s Smoke & Novelties in Windham and a similar retail store at Five Corners on Route 26 in Poland, and his attorney, Peter Bitham, registered agent for Jasmin LLC, have not responded to requests for comment from the Sun Journal .

The vacant building sits in the heart of Norway’s historic downtown on Main Street, adjacent to the Norway Opera House.

The basement and first floor of the hall were built in 1894 after the great fire destroyed much of the downtown business district. The other floors were added in 1910. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The third floor contained a high-ceiling ceremonial space for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Norway Lodge No. 16, who originally owned the building. The second floor had a kitchen and large dining area, along with law offices and a courthouse. The first floor has traditionally been storefronts.

Patel has been unclear about his plans for the building.

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