By a 4-0 vote on Monday night the village council accepted a bid from Bedrock Express, 1290 N. Ortonville Road. Councilmember Doug McAbee was absent.
In June, the council voted to seek bids for demolition of the Goodrich House in the downtown area after Genesee County 7th Circuit Judge Farah signed an order to secure. The funds for the demolition will come out of the village general funds. The money will then be reimbursed through the property taxes. Bids were also received from Johnson & Sons Excavation and Horcha.
‘The project should take about 10 days and fences will be installed around the building,? said Jakki Sidge, village administrator. ‘However, they will wait until after Good Times in Goodrich is over. About 3 percent of the material will go to landfills.?
The decision comes after the village council instructed Village Attorney Mike Gildner in January to seek equitable relief regarding the property through the court. The decison means village officials can enter the property to bring the property in compliance including the repair or demolition of the premises. Once that order has been obtained, then the property owners are notified.
Of historical interest in the community is the Goodrich House Apartments, which had been occupied by eight families until a fire ripped through the structure on Sept. 27, 2009. The 160-year-old structure was then abandoned until Oct. 2010 when Hadley resident Christopher Aragon purchased the property with the intent to repair the structure. Work has since been ongoing; however, several issues remain.
According to the historical society, the Goodrich House was built by Mr. Haskins in 1846 and was the first tavern, post office and a popular spot for trading and salesmen. During the building’s 160 years, there were several owners including Ben Yerkey, the Cicote Brothers (famous for their baseball careers) and Emery Rockafellow. After the death of Rockafellow, the tavern was bought by S. M. Hegel.