About 20 people who turned out for a meeting in Arundel on Feb.14 approved spending $50,000 to demolish the vacant former municipal building. Tammy Wells photo

ARUNDEL – The former municipal building, vacant since the fall of 2020, will come down.

An estimated 20 voters at a Special Town Meeting held Feb. 14 approved a warrant article to use $50,000 from the town’s fund balance to demolish the structure, said Town Manager Keith Trefethen.

Trefethen said the $50,000 appropriation includes all aspects of the demolition – from taking down the building, the foundation, and removal of the debris. He said the town’s public works department will fill provide backfill and seeding after the demolition.

“Work on the building will now begin as most aspects of the project have to go out to bid,” said Trefethen in an email. “We believe the largest expense could be the asbestos removal, so that will be the first item out.”

He said an assessment completed on the building before the town meeting showed asbestos, which appears to be mostly in the floor tiles.

Municipal operations were moved to a new municipal building, a mile down Limerick Road, in the fall of 2020.

The former municipal building shares a lot with Arundel Fire and Rescue.