Demolition underway downtown on South Division Avenue

GRAND RAPIDS, MI Demolition has begun on a pair of century-old buildings downtown.

Construction crews began work Sunday morning to tear down the buildings at 35 and 41 S. Division Ave., where a grassy lot will be soon.

The Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved the request to demolish the two buildings in July, after engineers concluded there was no salvaging the structures.

Early in the year, city officials had a barricade placed around the buildings to protect pedestrians from the potential danger of a crumbling exterior.

The demolition is set to end in time for the start of ArtPrize on Wednesday.

The work comes as part of a decision by longtime owners Richard and William VanGessel, and Jim Heeringa, to sell the buildings to Rockford Construction and SIBSCO LLC, a Secchia family holdings company.

William VanGessel is Rockford CEO Mike VanGessel's cousin.

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Demolition underway downtown on South Division Avenue