MERRILL, Wis. (WAOW) -- A longtime Merrill laundromat is on its way down.
The building that housed West Side Laundry and multiple apartments started its demolition process Monday.
Its history dates to the 1880s, and had been a laundromat under multiple owners since the 1960s, last owned by Trinity Lutheran Church, located across the parking lot.
Church members say it had become too costly to maintain and were left with few other options, and the decision was emotional.
"It's been a number of different businesses from a saloon to a laundromat and a number of other things in between, so for people that have been in the neighborhood, been in Merrill, it's sad to see it go," said Dan Riste.
Another member tells News 9they would get out of school at Trinity Lutheran School across the street and go over to the laundromat to buy a bottle of soda as a child.
Riste says demolition will be done by the end of the week, with hopefully limited interruption on Main Street, which doubles as Wisconsin Highway 64.
Crews could be seen Monday using water hoses during demolition, not because of smoke, but because of dust buildup inside the building.
The old building space is intended to become parking for Trinity Lutheran Church.
