The group made a last-minute inquiry in mid-January to buy the building, citing funds raised from an anonymous donor, said Neil Olshansky, president of the association known as BPA.

However, the city did not receive an offer from the BPA, Read said.

“No one submitted an offer, no one presented the proper documentation and said they wanted to continue,” he said.

The state has approved the city to go ahead with the demolition, said Elizabeth Benton, spokeswoman for CT Attorney General William Tong’s office.

The asking price for the building is $400,000. Other requirements from interested buyers include an additional $1.2 million warranty and proof that they are financially able to complete the renovation within two years of purchase.

Under an agreement with the state last October, before demolishing the building, the city was to advertise its sale in Preservation Connecticut News, a bimonthly magazine that works to protect historic places.

The city complied and ran the ad in the magazine’s November 2021 issue, published November 15.

In the ad, contact information for Read and Kristen Hopewood, administrative and development assistant for Preservation Connecticut magazine, was listed.

According to the agreement, if no firm offer has been approved by the city for the purchase of the Grange within two months of the publication of the announcement, the city has the power to move forward with its demolition projects.

Olshansky emailed Read on Jan. 14, a day before the listing expired, saying the group wanted to buy the building and would like to negotiate its purchase.

The BPA made an offer last spring, when it presented a plan to buy it for $1 and restore it. Last May, in a municipal vote of 155 to 89, residents voted against the BPA taking possession of the building.

And after?

The town received a $100,000 grant from the Small Town Economic Assistance Program to prepare for the next steps, which include the removal of the Barn and the salvage of wood from the building.

At a recent meeting of the Board of Selectmen, several offers for demolition were discussed and a motion was approved to appoint Stone Construction Company in Southbury to do the demolition, for $59,820. Stone has previously worked on other projects for the city.

Read the plans to demolish the Barn once the weather warms up. He would like to turn the site into a memorial for Bridgewater veterans who have served in wars since World War II.

“It will be a place where people can sit and reflect on the beauty and history of our beautiful city. There is a memorial commission, renovation carpenters and private citizens contributing their vision and services to make this idea a reality,” Read wrote in a February newsletter to the city.

“We will present a design and a plan to the city for city approval for this site,” he said.

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