Larry Clark, left, and Terry Bishop of Pates Hauling and Demolition work on the demolition site of the old Corner Market building at the corner of 10th and King streets Monday.One of Chattanooga's last remaining buildings once used for a neighborhood market has been reduced to a pile of rubble.
Despite hopes by a preservation group to save the 112-year-old structure, the historic but vacant Corner Market at 10th and King streets was demolished Monday.
"The roof had already collapsed, and it was pretty much falling apart on its own," said Eva Pates, owner of Pates Hauling and Demolition which dismantled and took down the two-story brick structure over the past four days.
The Corner Market building was erected in 1900 and was among eight buildings that Cornerstones Inc. listed as "endangered" structures the historic preservationist group wanted to save.
"We're sad to see this building go because we thought there were some opportunities to save and reuse this building as an interesting and unique building close to UTC," said Ann Gray, executive director for Cornerstones.
Cornerstones has worked with other local developers to save similar buildings such as the Terminal building near the Choo-Choo, which houses Terminal Brewhouse, and the Levin Brothers building on Main and Mitchell streets, where the exterior walls were saved to redevelop the structure later.
Thomas Fred Yattoni, owner of the oxygen equipment supply business Pulmonaire Service, bought the Corner Market building in 2000 as only the fourth owner of the downtown structure in the past century.
Yattoni was not available Monday, but Gray said there had been some architectural studies about how the building might be redeveloped and used.
"Unfortunately, as happens with too many old structures, the roof at some point was lost and the integrity of the structure was compromised," she said.
Pates said the site should be cleared and filled in by Wednesday.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340