Crews start demolishing the old Chantler Bakery at the corner of South Monroe Street and Center Avenue in Butler on Thursday. The city will pick up the estimated $60,000 demolition cost, but once the property is turned over to the city redevelopment authority and made a tax-generating property, the cost will be reimbursed.

Butler began razing the dilapidated building at the corner of South Monroe Street and Center Avenue — and it is being done at the city's expense.

The city council tabled a vote at its August meeting to approve the estimated $60,000 demolition of the former Chantler Bakery so it could seek a grant to fund the razing. However, that grant was not approved.

Now the city will pay for the work with leftover grant funds, according to Councilman Mike Kelly at Thursday's city council meeting.

The city plans to turn the property over to the city redevelopment authority later to make it a tax-generating property, said city solicitor Jim Coulter. When that occurs, the redevelopment authority will reimburse the city for the cost of demolition.

City solicitor Jim Coulter said building owners John L. and Mary Keffalas are no longer being unresponsive with the city, which already has levied about $90,000 in fines against them.

"The liens against the property create a problem because they do not vanish if the owners turn the property over to the redevelopment authority," Coulter said.

Additionally, it is a slow process to have the property declared a blight because it has to go through several boards and the city council before it can be condemned.

Only because the building has been declared unsafe has the demolition work already begun.

Ken Reilly Contracting of Valencia removed the former bakery's elevator tower as a safety measure. In addition, Reilly erected a chain-link fence around the building.

The building's roof has collapsed and a portion of the wall on South Monroe is bowed outward.

Reilly has been removing asbestos pipe wraps and electrical wiring from the building and reinforcing the wall facing Monroe Street until the building can be torn down.

The precautions account for about $10,000 of the demolition cost.

Allegheny Power will be paid about $5,000 to move its main power feed for the city's South Side, which is within 10 feet of the building.

The final demolition could cost an additional $45,000.