T-L Photo/Dylan McKenzie Demolition work has already begun on the rear of this building. The demolition is being handled by Raze International out of Shadyside.

CADIZ — The village of Cadiz is performing some demolition work on old structures.

The Custer Hotel and Mr. Fish buildings have been landmarks in the uptown district of Cadiz for decades.

The building was once a beautiful, grand hotel that originally began operation in the 1920s; the Mr. Fish building dates back even further, to the late 1800s.

Commissioner Don Bethel said that part of the hotel’s charm and appeal was that it contained a stage used for theater events, as well as the only movie theater in Harrison County.

These factors made the Custer Hotel a prime attraction in Cadiz, but even the grandest of buildings can’t last forever.

As time went by, the structures began to deteriorate.

The Custer Hotel ceased operations around 15 years ago, with the Mr. Fish building stopping its business about six years ago.

Efforts and plans to repair and repurpose the building proved to be too costly for the owners and the village.

As a result, the buildings continued to deteriorate to the point of becoming a safety hazard.

“It’s definitely become a safety issue,” said Cadiz Community Improvement Corporation President Mike Sliva. “The last few months we’ve had to put up a scaffolding on the sidewalk to protect people from bricks falling off the building.”

Plans to demolish the building have been in the works for close to a decade, according to Bethel.

“This has been a long talked about process that has been overdue for action,” he said.  “It’s a sad time, but an inevitable action.”

The demolition is being handled by Raze International, a company out of Shadyside.

Sliva said that Cadiz CIC member Kent Mason is overseeing the project, which should be finished by the end of November.

Sliva said the CIC intends to demolish the building down to street level and utilize the area as a community green space until the organization can redevelop the land.

Sliva said that although the CIC has had “several unofficial conversations” on how to develop the space, right now officials are more focused on safely demolishing the building.