Chalk up another change for Reno's ever-evolving downtown…but this is a big one. Today (Wednesday), the first hammer came down on Reno's oldest, longest-standing building. The old Masonic Lodge dates back to 1872…an elaborate, for that time, 3-story classic that was home to the Reno Mercantile Store, which in 1970 was replaced by a pawn shop.

It was then used for storage by Fitzgeralds Casino, now the Whitney Peak Hotel. Even though downtown resident Dennis Elledge doesn't remember when these doors were open, he's sad to see it go, “Because of the history. You know, the old Reno? They're taking all of it."

It takes a tough building to survive 146 years, especially after it went through 2 big fires. But downtown outgrew Reno's oldest building, and ever since the doors closed in the 70's...it's literally been falling apart. Ed Friedrichs of the recently-formed Downtown Development Committee told me, “It’s a shame that it can't be renovated, but it can't. It's just too expensive for what you would achieve."

The crew taking the building down is Group West Construction. Its vice president, Jeremme McGilvray did not mince words about the building’s current condition: "According to our engineer, the building already fell down. It just doesn't know it yet."

McGilvray invited us inside so we could see. His crew told me that just old stones, bricks and the rusted out steel pipes we saw there are holding it all up. The roof leaked for decades. Never fixed, it rotted out the old wood. That, and the roof caving 8 inches, pushed out the walls. As Friedrichs told me, "Its un-reinforced masonry. In a good shake it would just crumble."

It's dangerous to do the demolition work inside. That's why a year ago they had to build all new wood framing to secure things. In the dark hallways under the sidewalk, the elevator installed in 1935 faces its final days. The whole scene is sad, but Friedrichs looks ahead. As he put it, "If it can't be salvaged, we need it to be something new...something fresh."

But before the tear down, crews are removing old brick and other mementos to use again for a new 7 to 8 story extended-stay hotel. McGilvry says that, “Really adds a unique element, having to deconstruct the building, rather than just demolish the building."

But demolish it they will. Dennis Elledge will still miss this old wreck that once was a beauty. He insists it could have been saved. As he told me, "Why couldn't they fix it up the way it was before? Keep the old building the way it was?"

The new hotel, which will also be on the site of the former Old Reno Casino and Vino's (formerly the Sahara), is scheduled to be completed in mid-2020.