WILMINGTON — Demolition began this week of the long-abandoned two-story building and single-story structure at 171 S. Mulberry St., next to the bike trail in downtown Wilmington.

The City of Wilmington had been working to have the structures torn down for quite awhile.

A fire occurred in an upstairs apartment of the two-story facility in 2015. The City of Wilmington declared it uninhabitable, and notice was to owners in March 2016 ordering demolition or repair.

A civil case was dropped in December 2017 after “progress was made” in refurbishing the building. But in June 2018 city officials stated there “does not appear to be any change.”

The City of Wilmington filed suit in November 2019 in Clinton County Common Pleas Court; a pretrial hearing had been set for March 26, 2020.