Community improvements meant saying goodbye to an old building Wednesday in Goodman.
Residents watched as the former William’s Hardware Store crumbled into dust. The building, built in 1917, started as a hardware store. Later it was partitioned in two and American Legion Archie Boyer Post 479 met on one side. The hardware side of the building fell into disrepair and was condemned a couple years ago. In July of last year, the board of aldermen voted to condemn the Legion’s half of the building after a June 9 storm tore off part of the roof. The Legion no longer met in the building and Commander Bob Ebbinghaus told the city they had no funds to repair it. The board was worried the building would collapse into the street.
It took six months for First Community Bank to purchase both parts of the building and more time for contractors to get demolition permission from the Department of Natural Resources. During the next year, the bank plans to remodel and the extra space will come in handy.
“First Community Bank plans to make it a park,” said Jill Beshears, assistant vice president at First Community Bank. “It will be used for temporary parking during our remodel.”
The building, directly across from the bank, was an eyesore. The bank’s drive-through was directly across from a section of bare slats, a faded “keep out” sign and an open doorway that showcased the building’s collapsed stairs.
“Our motto is ‘Community comes first,’” Beshears said. “We are all about improving our community and this is really just a part of the revitalization of our downtown.”
She hopes for more businesses to come to the downtown strip and she may have found tenants for buildings across the street from the future park.
The building didn’t go down easily. Built of oak, it took several hours to tear it down. Demolition started as a cable was wrapped around the building and the second floor separated from the base.
“It was sliced like you slice with a knife and it went right through it,” said Olinda West, Goodman police reserve officer. “They built it to stay.”
