San Luis Obispo County has begun demolishing its former probation building, Casa Loma, but officials say El Niño weather concerns are forcing them to split the work into two phases.
The building, constructed in the 1940s, has sat empty since March 2026 when the probation department moved into its new facility on Bishop Street.
Christian Slater, project manager with SLO County Public Works, said the demolition is expected to continue through October.
"As you see, we already have the fencing up. It is going to be till probably the end of October. It's two phases for this project due to the weather with El Niño," Slater said.
The demolition plan dates back to 2017, when the County Board of Supervisors approved development of a new probation building and the eventual demolition of Casa Loma. District 3 Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg said supervisors determined the historic building no longer met the department's operational and space needs.
"I think people often ask, 'Why would you take down a charming looking building like that?' And it's due to the age of the building, the immense amount of repair, and because there's a significant amount of asbestos in that building," Ortiz-Legg said. "It's just, cost wise, it just is too much to try to rehabilitate that building."
Public Works officials worried that heavy rainfall associated with El Niño could increase the risk of erosion, prompting the two-phase approach.
"We thought the best thing to do would be to demo the building first and leave the rest of it remaining," Slater said.
Phase one work is expected to continue into October, with phase two scheduled to begin in spring 2027.
"When we come back, we can demo the parking lot front, side and then the concrete in the back. And there's also a retaining wall that kind of helps the natural hill slope. So we figured leaving that for the El Niño would help," Slater said.
Demolition work will take place Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Public Works says residents should expect increased construction truck traffic in the area.
Officials are advising drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to exercise caution near the construction zone.
