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Demolition is set to begin this week at the Motherhouse on the former Maria Regina campus in Syracuse, months after a devastating fire severely damaged the building. The blaze, which started on March 21, took firefighters nearly 40 hours to fully extinguish. Following the fire, city officials condemned the structure due to unsafe conditions, prompting plans for its demolition.
Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh announced that the property owner, Kimberly on Grant Boulevard, has hired a demolition contractor to carry out the work. The equipment and materials for the demolition were mobilized on Monday (July 7). The project is expected to be completed by August, according to the City of Syracuse.
The demolition paves the way for a new development plan. Home Leasing, the future developer, plans to transform the 14-acre campus into a 150-unit affordable senior housing facility. The agreement between the current and future property owners ensures the continuation of this project, which is set to begin construction in October after financing is finalized.
The fire, described by Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds as the largest the city has battled in decades, left the community eager for redevelopment. Residents expressed relief that the demolition process is finally underway, seeing it as a step toward revitalizing the area.
While the fire's cause remains under investigation, the focus is now on the future development, which aims to provide much-needed housing for seniors in the community. The demolition work is expected to be mostly completed in August, with detailed work to separate the building from other campus structures taking longer, as reported by Yahoo News.