ATHOL – An engineer hired by the town to assess the condition of the York Building at 465 Main St. is recommending that, for the safety of the public, the building be demolished prior to winter 2026.

Peter Reynolds, president of McKenzie Engineering of Leominster, states in his report that, due to lack of maintenance, water has damaged the roof and the resulting leaks have led to further damage to the two floors in the 8,000 square-foot structure. The building was last assessed on July 27.

“From the amount of observed damage, water is estimated to have been leaking with no roof repairs being performed for approximately the last 10 years,” the report states. “Mold, rotted wood members and structurally failing wood members were observed on the second-floor framing and roof framing.”

The first-floor framing, he added in the report, couldn’t be inspected due to some four feet of water in the basement. In his opinion, “the structural capacity of the roof, the second and first floors have been severely compromised.”

Reynolds added that a collapse of the roof due to winter snow could result in portions of the building falling towards Main Street and endangering the public.

The York Building, owned by Jonathan Eldridge, has been the subject of recent legal action. In June, Housing Court Central Division Judge Timothy Sullivan found that Eldridge remains in contempt of previous court orders and that the property is a public nuisance.

This allowed the town, through its Board of Health, to enter the premises and attempt to abate the violations, or, if the Health Department determines in writing that demolition is necessary, proceed with that option.

But demolishing the structure will involve solving a range of environmental, public safety, funding and environmental issues.

Building Inspector Bob Legare told the Select Board on Aug. 18 that if the entire building can’t be demolished before winter, “something should be done to that front wall so that it does not come down into Main Street,” and that he is looking for guidance on whether to proceed with a partial or full demolition.

The building inspector said he spoke with the state Department of Environmental Protection, and was informed that due to the poor condition of the structure, abatement of any asbestos in the building would be problematic.

That, he told the Athol Daily News, means all demolition material from the building would need to be handled as though it were contaminated with asbestos. If the town opted solely for the removal of the front wall, he told the board, DEP “suggested doing a non-traditional work plan” and submitting it for review by the state. Legare added he would ask an environmental company to draw up that plan.

Either option, Legare said, will be costly. When board Chair Bill Chiasson raised the possibility of pursuing a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion, Legare said, “We really have no idea what the costs will be.”

In a phone interview, Legare said he had contacted Western Mass Demolition of Westfield and they should have some price options soon.

Complicating the issue, he said, is the fact that the York Building and adjacent York Theater, at 469 Main St., “are one building, so the front (of each building) will have to come down at the same time.”

Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said the Select Board will be updated at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8. He added that the firm of Tighe & Bond will perform an environmental assessment of the theater building, funded by a portion of a $500,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency grant the town received last year.

Suhoski said an initial asbestos abatement of the theater has been done, but an environmental professional needs to look at it, which will help when putting together a bid document for the demolition.

“In my view, I think we’re trying to package these (buildings) together, recognizing we only have a court order for demolition of 465 Main St. versus ownership of the former theater,” Suhoski said. “We’re trying to stay within our lane while doing our best to abate any danger.

“Whatever we do, we’re going to follow the law, but we’re going to do so in the interest of public safety,” he said. “If there’s something we have to do, we’re going to do it. If it’s a public safety concern – and the Select Board has been pretty clear – it’s a priority.”