A vacant former youth center in East San Jose has been demolished more than a month after a fire halted plans for its restoration.
Excavators knocked down what remained of the Mexican American Community Services Agency (MACSA) building Saturday, breaking the hearts of community advocates who fought to save it. Trustees with the Alum Rock Union School District, which owns the property, previously approved demolishing the building in an emergency vote after the fire, pending a structural report on the damage. The cause of the fire, which happened in the early morning hours of Aug. 29, is still under investigation.
According to the structural report, the blaze destroyed or severely damaged the majority of the main building, with much of the roof having collapsed. At a Sept. 25 school board meeting, Eric Wasinger, senior executive of bonds, maintenance, operations and transportation for the district, said removing the existing walls a layer at a time to test the rebar would be prohibitively expensive. Due to structural damage, even MACSA’s distinctive arches couldn’t be saved…