WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer is requesting that New York State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines delay the demolition of the former veterans’ home in Oxford.

In a personal letter to Daines on Tuesday, Schumer wrote that local officials are currently pursuing a positive use for the building on state Hwy 220, and demolishing it while that process is ongoing “makes no sense,” especially when the demolition would cost upwards of $1 million in a time of fiscal constraint.

“For a minimal investment, the structure could be made secure and weatherproofed while the community solicits input from private investors and reviews reuse opportunities,” he wrote.

A spokesperson for the New York State Dormitory Authority said Monday that asbestos abatement and demolition is officially scheduled to begin in the fall. Staff and residents moved into a brand new, state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the old one last fall.