TOPSHAM — The town’s former fire station in the Lower Village is slated for demolition, pending a July 19 decision by the Board of Selectmen.

Copp Excavating could level the structure between July 24 and 26 at a cost of about $19,000, Public Works Director Dennis Cox said in a July 10 memo to Town Manager Rich Roedner. Cox recommended the Durham company, which provided the lowest of five bids for the job.

Along with safely tearing down the building, the work comprises hauling off debris and paying for its disposal, according to Cox. The foundation would not be removed, but all materials down to the cement floor would be taken out.

The town occupied the Green Street building – used in recent years for storage – at least back to the 1950s, Roedner said July 12. Topsham’s Fire and Rescue Department vacated the building in 2007 when the 100 Main St. government campus was completed. 

The town budgeted $15,000 in fiscal year 2018 to demolish the fire station, along with $180,000 to erect a new storage building near the Public Works Department; the latter structure is in the permitting process and should be complete by winter, Roedner said.

Of the $15,000, the town spent $1,345 for asbestos abatement and $6,510 for  asbestos removal, leaving $7,145, according to Cox. The remaining $12,000 to cover Copp’s bid would come from surplus in the town’s fiscal 2019 budget, Roedner said.

A use for the property after the building is gone has yet to be determined.

Alex Lear can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 113 or alear@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @learics.

Topsham’s old fire station on Green Street, used for storage since 2007, could be demolished later this month.