BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The long-anticipated demolition of the Pagoda Motel on Harper Road has officially gotten underway.
The establishment has been closed for years and has long been considered a public safety issue for the citizens of Raleigh County.
There has been a lengthy and convoluted process leading up to the building’s demolition, with the City of Beckley having taken precise measures and working alongside property owners in order to facilitate the project.
Beckley City Council meetings throughout the year have seen frequent discussion regarding the proposed demolition, with the award for the demolition bid having been determined just in recent weeks.
Electrical issues throughout the establishment have been the reported source of several fires to have occurred on the property. Prior to its 2021 shutdown, the site frequently played host to emergency responders such as police and EMS due to illicit activities which would come to be associated with the location.
Neighboring establishment, Melton Mortuary and Cremation Center, acknowledged the loss of one of the city’s oldest structures.
“Today, the Pagoda is being taken down. We know that many in the community remember that it was in it’s day a great place to stop to eat,” said Melton Mortuary. “Another one of Beckley’s oldest becoming history today.”
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