Photo courtesy of the City of Guthrie Center

After a dump truck collided into the former Guthrie Center Fire Hall this week, the City is working to determine what should be done with the longstanding property.

City Administrator Laura Wolfe says L.J. Roth Restoration Service is currently working on securing the building, located at the corner of Highway 44 and 1st Street, to ensure no residents would enter the building and cause the City any liability. KPE Engineering and EMC Insurance will then analyze the building to determine whether it should be demolished or restored. Debris from the collision must also be tested for asbestos and diesel fuel that was spilled during the incident. Wolfe adds, though the building has been used to store some City equipment, there was nothing damaged in the portion of the building that the truck entered. That part of the building had been unoccupied, though in the past it has been used as temporary office space for organizations like New Opportunities.

Wolfe predicts it will be a few weeks until the City gets an answer on how to proceed with the structure. According to the Guthrie County Sheriff’s accident report, damage to the building was estimated at $50,000. The former fire hall has had several incarnations, as Wolfe says it’s been owned by the City for at least 50 years. In the aftermath of Tuesday’s collision you can see the concealed brick from when the building served as a power plant many years ago. For a photo of how the building originally looked, as well as present day, visit this story at raccoonvalleyradio.com.