FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly has defended the city’s decision to tear down the Masonic Temple after its roof collapsed.
Matherly took to social media on Sunday to explain why the building that had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places had to be demolished, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported .
City officials deemed it a safety hazard after a heavy snowload caused a portion the 112-year-old temple’s roof to cave in on Saturday. Preservationist Patty Peirsol said she lobbied officials the day of the incident to slow down and explore ways to preserve the front of the structure.
“A part of the history of Fairbanks has died,” said Martin Gutoski, a member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Commission on Historic Preservation.
Matherly said the building was unsound and the city had an emergency.
The city was obligated to tear down the back part of the building, which was collapsing. The owner made decision to tear down the front portion, Matherly said.
He said he trusts the judgment of city officials, who assessed the building after the back roof collapsed.
Preservationist Molly Proue said the Masonic Temple was one of the more popular of the 200-or-so structures on the local historic building inventory.
“I feel like, out of all of the buildings, people seemed to really like that one. I think because of its distinctive architecture and its place on the river,” Proue said.
The temple’s owner, Harold Groetsema, will be billed for the demolition, Matherly said.
Groetsema had wanted to turn the temple, which was unoccupied and being used for storage, into a banquet hall but lacked the funds to fix structural problems.
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Information from: Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner, http://www.newsminer.com
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