PLYMOUTH — After weeks of back-and-forth discussions about the fate of the Plymouth Hotel, Mother Nature took matters into her own hands Saturday afternoon.
On Friday, the Richland County Land Bank, acting as the agent on behalf of the Village of Plymouth, approved a bid with D and R Demolition up to $190,000. Pending approval of the building’s two owners, the project was set to begin Monday.
Unfortunately, Saturday morning brought a steady stream of western and southern winds, with gusts exceeding 28 miles per hour by midday. The two-story portion of the former hotel finally crumbled to the ground around 1 p.m.
The Plymouth Hotel has been in disrepair for years, but its decline hastened Aug. 6 when a portion of the building collapsed. The building continued to deteriorate in the following weeks, as the building owners and the Richland County Land Bank were working out a demolition agreement.
The hotel’s three-story section is still standing, but remains under demolition orders from the land bank. Before the work can begin, the wall that once connected the building’s two sections will need to be shored up so workers can safely enter the three story portion to remove any asbestos.
According to land bank manager Amy Hamrick, a 2016 analysis revealed asbestos in the building, so any portion of the building that has already collapsed will have to be taken away to a special site.
Hamrick stated Saturday afternoon that D & R Demolition, a contractor out of Bowling Green, Ohio, was en route to secure the site and make it safe until further demolition can take place.
