By C.J. Carnacchio
Leader Editor
Clouds of dust filled the air and old bricks tumbled to the ground as a home that’s been standing for more than 112 years was demolished Aug. 31 to make way for a new street in the Village of Oxford.
Workers from the Lapeer-based North American Dismantling leveled 17 Broadway Street in preparation for the village’s construction of a new southern portion of Mill Street.
The new portion Mill Street will be begin as a two-lane road at Stanton Street and about half-way through turn into three lanes (including a right-turn lane) ending at Broadway Street. It will also have full curb and gutter, and a sidewalk on the west side.
It’s all part of the village’s $2.5 million street improvement project which includes construction on Pontiac and Glaspie streets. Road work on those streets is nearing completion.
The stretch of land (including the former house built prior to 1893) upon which the new portion of Mill Street shall be constructed was owned by Oxford Bank.
In March 2004, village voters approved a land swap between the municipality and local bank.
As part of the trade, the village gave Oxford Bank the north-south alley between Stanton and Broadway which divides the financial institution’s property into eastern and western portions. The western containing the main branch office and the eastern portion the finance center.
In return, the bank conveyed to the village a stretch of land along its property’s easternmost border behind the finance center and between Stanton and Broadway streets.
The bank’s land contained a house, which it had owned for about 10 years and utilized as a rental property, according to Ed Figure, vice president of data processing for Oxford Bank.
As part of its agreement with the village, the bank paid for the home’s demolition.
Originally, the bank had an agreement to have the house moved by Aug.1, however, the interested party could not meet that deadline, Figure said.
Given the village’s construction schedule, Figure said the bank had to have 17 Broadway Street demolished in order to avoid holding up the project.
Village Manger Joe Young said the construction of the new Mill St. should begin later this month and be completed in early October.