February 4, 2014 - Mayor Madeline Rogero told City Council members tonight that the remaining McClung Warehouse building on Jackson Avenue will need to be demolished for public safety reasons.

"It's heartbreaking for all of us to lose these historic structures," Mayor Rogero said. "But we anticipate that a structural assessment will show that the remaining building is too damaged to safely preserve."

The Mayor, however, reiterated the City's commitment to redeveloping all of the properties it owns on Jackson Avenue. Officials are hopeful that a developer or developers may be able to assume ownership of the properties from the City by the end of the year, following a public input process and the issuance of a Request for Proposals.

The City acquired the properties in November 2013 in a settlement with a bankruptcy trustee. Three buildings on the block burned in a 2007 fire, and a fourth building was lost in a blaze last Saturday. The remaining building suffered heavy damage in Saturday's fire.

City officials anticipate a final report on the building's structural integrity within days.