Historic Salina Building Coming Down

A historic downtown Salina building will be demolished this weekend.

According to Salina Downtown Inc.,the 1887 Wight Brothers’ building at 109-111 North Seventh will be torn down on Saturday. Back in November the building was designated an imminent threat to collapse.

The demo will begin late in the morning and is expected to take most of the day. Part of Seventh street will be closed, but access to the parking lot north of the Cozy Inn will be open.

The former Phoenix hotel will be demolished in a couple of weeks as well. The building at 100 North 5th Street is currently undergoing asbestos removal and abatement.

On January 23rd, the Design Review Board approved demolition of the hotel complex which surrounds the new Assurance Partners building. Actual demolition is scheduled to begin February 7. Owner Brian Richardson will conserve as many of the mature evergreen trees along the east property line as possible.