WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (WETM) – Crews have started tearing down a historic building in the heart of the Village.

On May 1, Watkins Glen Code Enforcement announced that the former Clifford Motors building would be coming down later this month. By May 2, crews were seen tearing it down at 111 N. Franklin Street.

Footage from a reporter in Watkins Glen on May 3 showed a bulldozer on the lot, fenced off, and a significant portion of the building already demolished.

According to an Observer-Review article from 2018, the village board approved a $13 million plan to turn the empty building into a multi-use buillding. Another article from 2009 reported that General Motors pulled out of the location, officially closing Clifford Motors after 34 years in operation.

There have been no announcements yet as to what will happen with the property.