Sacred Heart Church of 550 Hartford Turnpike remains abandoned since 1997 after it was closed by the town building inspector Gene Bolles. According to Bolles, cement chunks were falling from the poorly constructed building into the pews which could prove lethal if they hit anyone. The building's design would have not been approved by today's standards, and even during its construction in the 1970's, Russell and Dawson, the builder, was warned about the possible problems of the 7 story design. Repairs could cost the church hundreds of thousands of dollars. Engineers offered various solutions for the building to become functional:
-Plan to repair the walls every 10 years
-Cover the pews with a canopy to catch falling pieces (still scary).
-Replace the concrete slabs with a different material that is safe with modern standards
Currently mass is held in the pavilion building right next to the original church, no plans have been decided yet on the matter of the original building. The vacant parking lot has been turned into a park and ride and used regularly to transport residents to Hartford and Mohegan Sun.
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