Joe Irizarry, WDEL

Published Nov 28, 2018 at 10:49 pm | Updated Nov 29, 2018 at 12:48 pm

Back-and-forth efforts to try to save the historic Walker's Bank building along the Brandywine River appears to be over.

The New Castle County Land Use Department is issuing a demolition permit for the building which some, including former County Councilman Bob Weiner tried to save. Land Use notified the New Castle County Historical Review Board of its decision last week. This was after a demolition permit delay expired in July. 

There was an active demolition permit on the building, and there was disagreement between the owner and those wanting to save the building about the owner's care for the building over the last year.

Land Use General Manager Rich Hall said even though the building is coming down, portions of the land where it stands will be preserved.

"Some of the foundation will remain so people can see that footprint there, and then, [they] can certainly get more information about what was there at one point...in other words the site won't be totally erased," said Hall.

The facility was apparently so structurally deficient that engineers cautioned historical preservationists against going inside to do a closer inspection.