New Haven Independent

It was an early New Year’s Eve party no one wanted to crash, or to have happened. Around noontime the day of New Year’s Eve the wrecking ball was hard at work on the Kresge Building, site of the dramatic Dec.12 downtown fire that destroyed it and some six businesses it housed. The flames, which consumed Mad Rag, Expressions, Chinatown, New Haven Furniture, and the Brass Monkey, left the venerable old building open for the sun and moon to shine through, so that the fate that the structure was meeting today was not unexpected, yet still sad. Due to the extent of the damage, the city has condemned the entire building.

As Chapel was blocked off to vehicular traffic between Church and Orange, just as it had been when the fire was being fought that early morning last month, passersby, who were permitted by the police to move quickly, and not linger, saw the historic building one last time. According to Livable City Initiative’s Andy Rizzo, the wrecking ball Monday took out the brick and wood only. The steel frame will come down another day.

In a story in the New Haven Register (click here) the mayor expressed the hope that at least the façade of the building that protrudes onto Church might be saved.

City spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said that while the block of Chapel between Orange and Church was closed through the afternoon Monday, it will be open today, New Year’s day; closure may resume Wednesday.