Demolition begins on W. Rick’s restaurant
Demolition work has begun on what remains of the W. Rick’s Taproom and Grill on Meridian Road in Butler Township. The restaurant burned in a massive fire in February and never reopened.
Demolition crews from Giordano Construction were first spotted on the property on Monday afternoon, July 15, and Butler Township zoning officer Jesse Hines confirmed that demolition had commenced at a township board of supervisors meeting that night.
According to Butler Township manager Tom Knights, the township held off on issuing a demolition permit for a month so they could ensure demolition could safely be conducted.
“There was an asbestos report that had to be done, and there was asbestos testing that had to be done before we could issue the demolition permit,” said Knights, who confirmed that no asbestos was found.
It is unclear whether the management of W. Rick’s intends to rebuild or start over. The W. Rick’s website is still up, and says that the restaurant is “temporarily closed.” The owner, Tricia Christy, did not respond to a request for comment.
