Ongoing legal battle of historic Troy building raises concerns about upcoming Strawberry Festival

TROY — The months-long battle over an endangered Troy building is now threatening to interfere with the Troy Strawberry Festival, one of the area’s most popular events.

The 120-year-old building made news in March when the current owner began demolition early one morning at the back of the three-building structure on West Main Street. That was when local historians raised the alarm and the city obtained an injunction to temporarily stop the demolition.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Historic building center of legal battle in Troy deemed unsafe

The city asked that any work, demolition or repair, be done legally and the building’s owner claimed to have explored all options for re-use of the building without success. The owner said an engineering study claimed the structure was a serious hazard. Now, as the Strawberry Festival approaches, a decision could impact the festival.

Martin Stewart, a Troy Historical Preservation Alliance (THPA) board member, said the group believes the building has historical value and should not come down at all.

“The building is in excellent condition for its age,” Stewart said. “There are repairs needed, it’s not in danger of collapse.”

The building owner has now said to safely demolish the building before the Strawberry Festival, he would need to begin the process in less than a week. The THPA said they believe that bracing the building and protecting pedestrians would at least require moving the protective fence further into the road, which leaves festival organizers in the middle.

>> PHOTOS: Troy property owner starts demo without city approval

News Center 7 reached out to festival organizers Thursday about the impact this ongoing legal battle could have on the festival.

“The Strawberry Festival priorities the safety of our volunteers, vendors and attendees. As we do every year, we will work closely with the City Of Troy and will adhere to any additional requirements needed for this year’s Festival,” organizers said in a statement.

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