‘We don’t have a lot of time;’ Group working to repair historic Troy building before April deadline

TROY — The group trying to save the historical building that’s been at the center of a lengthy legal has just over four months to get the building repaired or else it will come down.

As News Center 7 reported on Saturday, a settlement was reached between the parties involved in the lawsuit over the historic Tavern Building on W. Main Street in downtown Troy.

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As part of the settlement, the property was sold to the Troy Historic Preservation Alliance (THPA). Now, the organization must complete the repairs outlined by the Chief Building Officer by April 30, 2024.

“We don’t have a lot of time,” Ben Sutherly, president of the THPA, told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott on Tuesday.

Inspectors will be assessing the scope of the repairs that are needed and they need to happen soon. As News Center 7 reported at 5:00, Sutherly knows he and the THPA need to move fast and estimated that the cost of repairs could be anywhere from $400,000 to upwards of $1 million.

“It will be a very busy site between February and April,” he said.

If they fail to make the repairs by the deadline, then the Tavern Building will be torn down. If that ends up being the case, Sutherly said that demolition would have to be completed by the end of May.

The timeline surrounding the repairs and possible demolition is primarily focused on getting W. Main Street back open.

“We understand the impact this is having on a lot of people, the impact it has on a lot of events,” he said.

The lengthy closure of the street has been and still is impacting businesses directly next to the building. As News Center 7 has previously reported, they’ve taken a heavy hit in sales since the street closed over the summer.

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“The impact that was having on the businesses, I think was one of the driving forces to bring this conclusion,” Sutherly said. “This is really the right thing to do for the community.”

McDermott also talked to business owners who have been impacted by this months-long battle. Mike Wilkinson, co-owner of Around About Books, said the road closure has impacted the ability his customers have to get to the store.

“We deal a lot with older people. A lot of them bring books into trade and in large quantities, they can’t show up with those books if they can’t park in front,” Wilkinson said.

Carly Witmer, owner of Cherry Street Bottle Shop, said she hopes the THPA can fix the building.

“I think that would be great, but I know what’s going to take longer. It sounds like this is just going to drag it out,” Witmer said.

She also said if they can pull it off in the timeline they’ve been given, she’ll be impressed.

Both owners are happy to see movement toward a conclusion happen.

The THPA is accepting donations. If you’d like to help them meet their goal to restore the building, you can donate here.

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