Broken down North Attleboro mill building seen as a "time bomb" with collapse imminent
NORTH ATTLEBORO – North Attleboro plans to demolish parts of an abandoned building that is on the verge of collapsing.
On Wednesday, North Attleboro officials said the Webster Mill building on Broadway is in "imminent danger of collapse." Detours are in place and community members are being asked to completely avoid the area.
"As long as I can remember this has been an issue. It's so dangerous," neighbor Amy Nadeau said.
Danger to surrounding area
Neighbors say the Webster Mill has not just been an eye sore for decades, it's also been a safety issue.
"The whole neighborhood has been concerned for many years about the status of the land," Nadeau said. "Smaller pieces fall down all the time."
Town manager Michael Borg said that on Wednesday officials noticed part of the roof had collapsed, putting pressure on a wall.
"If it fell and collapsed it would fall in to the road on Broadway," Borg said. "We didn't want anyone walking their dog or out for a run or a car driving by and suddenly the building collapses and then we have a much bigger problem."
"It's a time bomb"
The town notified the owners around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, giving them 24 hours to address the situation or the town would demolish the part of the building that is at risk of collapsing.
Neighbors are relieved to hear something is being done.
"I am so so happy something is being done with it. It's a time bomb. Someone is going to die here," resident Michael Perron said.
Demolition to begin on Webster Mill
North Attleboro officials said Thursday the building's owners did not respond within the 24-hour notification period. Demolition will begin on Monday, March 4.
During demolition, water will be sprayed onto the building to prevent the spread of asbestos in the air. Demolition debris will be covered, and air quality monitoring will be conducted. The town is also working to set up a pest control perimeter.
Neighbors say they don't want to see just part of the building demolished. They want the entire mill torn down.
"We're working on it. We want that too, we want the exact same thing," Borg said. "It's in a key part of town and we'd like to see it become something else. We're trying to figure out how to make that happen."