Demolition ends church buildings life

Since 2003, the First Southern Baptist Church on the southeast corner of 58th and Myrtle has remained vacant, and its condition has deteriorated. Surrounding property has not been developed as originally planned, and is now overgrown with weeds.

Monday morning, workers began the task of tearing down the historical building. It has been planned for almost a year. Public meetings were held last year by Glendale Historic Preservation Commission to get input from citizens about what they would like to see happen with the building.

Glendale Planning Director and Historic Preservation Director Jon Froke gave a look back at what has occurred since 2005.

In 2005, Glendale entered into a development agreement with Vanguard CityHome to build condominiums. The site began development pre-recession, and then, unfortunately, the condo project became a casualty of the recession, Froke said. The property went back to a lender, the half-block, the alley to 58th, and so the condo development does not look like it will get completed.

The property is now owned by Rialto Partners, which has owned it several years, Froke said, but he added the company is not really a development company. The actual request for the demolition came from one of the Vanguard partners, Mike Trailor.

Froke reviewed it and took it to the historical preservation commission in December, requesting permission for demolition.

Last summer, Froke said, the citys building safety department responded to some complaints about the site. They found the building to be uninhabitable, and posted it as such.

Froke said in the building were feral cats, feces, bedding in the basement, human waste, animal waste, and bees. So, it became a bit of a community eyesore.

So, we were having a hard time keeping the property secure, Froke said.

There was an opening on the north end of the building, and it was becoming a nuisance. So, the historical preservation commission agreed with Frokes assessment and determined the building should be razed.

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Demolition ends church buildings life