OXFORD – Pre-demolition work has begun at the old Vets’ Home in Oxford, as contractors prepare to tear down the facility, which housed veterans for the better part of four decades.

According to Susan Barnett, public information officer for the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), Gorick Construction of Binghamton was awarded the approximately $677,000 contract for the demolition.

“There is no ‘must start’ date, but asbestos abatement procedures are underway,” Barnett confirmed on Monday.

At present, the installation of a chain link fence around the facility and the construction of a dirt access road adjacent to the parking area are the only outward signs that work has begun.