Demolition Begins on Old 'Breads & Bits' Building

You may have noticed a flurry of activity on Main Street in recent weeks as construction crews have been preparing for the demolition of the former Moynihan Plaza building located in the heart of downtown.  The building demolition begins this week and is expected to last for approximately three weeks. Throughout the entire demolition and construction process, a protected pedestrian walkway will remain in place to provide a safe and continuous lighted path for pedestrians, and an enclosed area that extends onto the sidewalk will keep construction contained within the building site. There will be a closed-off area in the rear of the building to protect pedestrians and vehicles in the Dill’s Court parking lot as well.

Construction will begin in earnest once the existing building comes down and continue for about one year, with completion expected in October 2019. The completed building will be a welcome addition to our thriving downtown and will contain a mix of uses, with retail on the ground floor, outdoor seating in the rear, and ten residential units on the two upper stories. 

Meanwhile, construction continues at 419-429 Main Street, the site of the former building that was home several local businesses including Coffee, Tea & Me and Mike’s Barber Shop, among others. Revitalization of this property had encountered delays due to structural issues that stymied the original plan to renovate the building, and, more recently, poor soils that required imported structural fill and foundation revisions, but the delays are in the past and foundation work is now well under way. Construction is expected to continue in earnest and the building is scheduled to be open for occupancy in the summer of 2019. The new building will be another welcome addition to downtown and will contain a mix of retail uses on the ground floor and ten residential units on the two upper floors. The plans include provisions for an expanded café space, which will welcome Coffee, Tea & Me back to Main Street, if all goes as planned!

I am really excited to see this progress on both these projects. While the demolition and construction will be a temporary inconvenience, I am confident that both new buildings will be positive additions to our downtown, and I look forward to seeing both of them open next year.