SCITUATE, R.I. (WPRI) — The historic Hope Mill in Scituate will soon be torn down after it was deemed unsafe, 12 News has learned.
The long-vacant mill, which officially shut down in 2006, and has been slowly decaying ever since. The former textile mill sits along the Pawtuxet River in the Hope Village Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
William Dandrow lives across the street from the building, which he described as an “eyesore.”
“It’s tough to look over there, [especially] after you take care of your own yard very nicely,” he said. “It’s not right.”
In a letter sent to Hope Mill’s owner BMP LLC earlier this month, the town officially declared the building unsafe and demanded it be demolished immediately.
The notice estimates that the cost to repair the building would exceed 50% of its fair market value.
Though it’s been falling apart for nearly two decades, the building has taken a significant hit over the past several months.
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Sky Drone 12 recently flew over Hope Mill to get a bird’s-eye view of the building’s condition. The saw-tooth building appears completely uninhabitable, with its roof partially collapsed and the majority of its rooms reduced to piles of lumber and debris.
Even though the building is surrounded by a chain-link fence and no-trespassing signs, Dandrow is worried that those who are naïve enough to sneak in might get hurt.
“It’s just a dangerous situation,” he said.
Initially, neighbors thought the building would be repurposed into apartments after a permit was issued to do so last year. But the notice states that the permit was never acted upon and is now void.
It’s unclear at this time when the building will be demolished, or what’s next for the property.
12 News has reached out to the town for comment but has not yet heard back.
WATCH: Sky Drone 12 flies over Hope Mill in Scituate
T.J. Del Santo contributed to this report.