CAMBRIDGE, MD - A planned demolition of a condemned building in downtown Cambridge came to a sudden halt Tuesday morning when part of the structure unexpectedly collapsed, causing a minor injury to a worker and delaying the project.
Crews began work early Tuesday on the abandoned building at 610 Race Street, which has been long considered an eyesore and safety hazard. However, the collapse of a chimney shattered the glass on an excavator, forcing the project to stop for the day.
“So over the last year we've had to go up on the roof and remove broken glass, and we can see there's holes in the roofs,” said Brandon Hesson, assistant city manager of Cambridge.
Hesson noted that the city had long worried about the building’s structural integrity.
“Once buildings start letting rain and weather into the building, it’s only a matter of time before they deteriorate,” he said.
Nearby residents have shared those concerns.
“Yes, it is a big safety issue. Because my husband every morning would get up and, um, go into that little strip right there and pick nails up, so people wouldn’t get flat tires,” said Patricia McNamara, who lives in an apartment next to the site.
The partial collapse validated those fears. Crews halted work for the day, and the worker with the minor injury was treated in Salisbury. While the building remains standing for now, its future is uncertain.
“We’ve heard a lot of things. People say we need parking. There’s lots of parking downtown; the last thing I think we want is to have to maintain a parking lot. What I’d like to do is potentially find someone to build on this site,” Hesson said.
City officials expect to resume demolition on Wednesday, with plans to complete the project by Thursday.
