Gadsden building demolition forces periodic street closures

The demolition of an iconic building in Downtown Gadsden is moving forward as scheduled and has reached its final stages. The City of Gadsden’s Engineering Department announced today that Chesnut Street, between 5thStreet and 6th Street will be closed off and on over the next few days as a safety precaution during those final stages of destruction.  The abandoned seven story structure has been considered an eyesore in the city and has been the subject of nuisance abatement proceedings for most of the past 20 years.  The Gadsden City Council finally approved the demolition of the building on March 19 and work began on the project a few weeks ago.  Once the building is gone, the vacant lot will be sold to the First United Methodist Church.  Church officials say that they will probably use the property for parking.