NEW BERLIN – Officials are nearing a final resolution over the fate of a historical, three-story, condemned building located in the heart of the Village of New Berlin.

The village board is recommending that the 19th-century brick building at 2-10 N. Main St. be demolished and be replaced with a public park or sold to a local business.

County codes officials and local emergency crews were called to the structure in early January 2008 because individuals nearby noticed bricks were falling from it. The building was then condemned and the tenants evacuated.

The board approved a motion to demolish the building, but will wait to make a final decision when it holds a public hearing on the issue. A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 22 at the Village Office Building, 71 North Main St.

“We’ll hear from local citizens, discuss our options and offer our take on how we should proceed,” said New Berlin Mayor Wade Schrag.

However the action taken by the board relies on it receiving a grant it has not yet been approved for.

Schrag announced that the village was submitting an application to New York State for funding under the Restore New York Round Three Funding Program that would provide up to $200,000 for the proposed project. The mayor said a contractor, Burrell’s Excavating, had done an assessment of the work at the site and estimated the cost to be about $155,000.

Schrag reported that he received information from Chenango County Code Enforcement engineers that stated the structure was “not fixable.”

The building’s owner, Kenneth George of Morris, filed for bankruptcy earlier in 2008 and has been unable to take on the burden of the cost of demolition or repair.

Built in 1882, the structure has been used by dozens of merchants and housed numerous tenants over the years. It is part of the historic district in New Berlin and has protection from the municipality. The building can still be demolished by the owner, however.