San Bernardino County said goodbye to two landmark buildings in downtown San Bernardino last month.
In early July, the county began demolishing the buildings, both built in the 1960s, that once housed the county’s Hall of Records at 172 W. 3rd St. and the public health building next door at 351 N. Mountain View Ave. Both buildings were damaged in a fire in 2022.
25 years ago, the county moved its Hall of Records activities to the current page 222 W. Hospitality Lane; the health department remained on scene until the fire.
Since that move, the previous building served as office space for several county offices until it was damaged in a fire in June 2022. According to county authorities, no employees or customers were injured in the fire, which occurred over Father’s Day weekend.
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The damage to the buildings is “irreparable,” according to the district.
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County officials said because of the building’s age and renovations that were made before current regulations went into effect, it took two years for the county to complete fire damage restoration and environmental and contaminant cleanup before demolition could begin.
Both buildings are in ruins, said county spokesman David Wert, and clearing the site will continue into next year.
The area will then be paved and used as a parking lot until another use for the land is found, he said.
Nick Cataldo, a local historian and member of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society, expressed hope for a more unified plan to use the land on which the buildings once stood.
“If we’re going to tear down some old buildings with history, we need to make a concerted effort to move forward and have a plan,” he said. “And I don’t see a comprehensive, solid plan.”
Cataldo said he would not object to several fast food and diner restaurants being located on the property where the buildings would be constructed, as it would serve the community.
“I think there has to be a core somewhere where two or three stores open close together, where it’s bright and where people move to,” he said.
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