After 56 years as the home of Windsor's municipal government, work to demolish the city's old City Hall starts this month.
Work crews are putting up fencing around the building and plan to start the process of removing hazardous materials from inside by the end of the month.
Project Manager, Wadah Al-Yassiri said the abatement process, stripping the inside of the building, is expected to take between six weeks and two months.
"The old City Hall building was built in 1956 and contains asbestos," said a release from the City of Windsor. "The initial stage of the demolition will see hazardous waste removed according to safety regulations, including regular air monitoring. Equipment will also be installed to ensure any vibrations and dust caused by demolition work remains within acceptable levels."
The city hopes to recycle up to 85 per cent of the materials removed from the building.
Al-Yassir said the public would not likely notice any significant changes within that stage, but by the start of April, heavy equipment will be brought in to start taking down the walls.
Demolition should be done by August, and the cost was included in the budget to build the new City Hall next door.
The site will then be turned into green space until a decision is made on a new civic plaza.
Public discussion on what to include in the civic plaza is expected to start this year.