SPRINGDALE — The charred remains of a Thompson Street building started to come down Thursday.
Workers were removing walls to allow asbestos at the site to be removed, said Mike Chamlee, city director of building inspection.
“The owners of the building got all their permits from the state,” Chamlee said. “They have until May 8 to complete the removal.”
The building on the corner of Thompson Street and Grove Avenue was built in 1960 for the Church of Christ. For many years, Ozark Guidance was there before moving to 48th Street.
The building sat empty for many years before being sold to Hector Orellana and Marta Mancia in October for $99,000, according to Washington County records. The owners couldn't be reached for comment.
About 10 p.m. Jan. 20, a 911 call reported a fire in the building. The building was destroyed, said Ed Stith, fire marshal. The origin of the fire hasn't been determined and is still under investigation, he said.
The demolition of the building was delayed to allow insurance investigators to look at it, Chamlee said. When the presence of asbestos was confirmed, permits from the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality were needed to remove asbestos, he said.
People have been concerned with the danger of walls falling, Chamlee said. The walls of the building might have looked precarious, he said, but enough steel remained to provide some stability.