Demolition of the historic Hendler Creamery remnants began last month, more than a year after the move was approved by Baltimore’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation.

One of the structure’s walls and the accompanying support beams had already been torn down from previous destruction and weathering. On Tuesday, the final remnants of the structure could be seen piled up on the site. Meanwhile, the sidewalk on the 1100 block of East Baltimore Street was blocked off.

The former creamery on East Baltimore Street in the Jonestown Historic District, east of downtown, was set for redevelopment years ago and partially demolished in 2023.

After initial plans for a residential and retail hub stalled, CHAP postponed the final demolition hearing for the creamery until the Helping Up Mission, a nonprofit that helps people experiencing homelessness and addiction, applied to demolish the remnants with plans for a private greenspace to serve its clients and staff.

A permit for the demolition of the remnant was approved on April 25, and Helping Up Mission finalized the acquisition at last. The nonprofit, located across from the creamery, started demolishing the Hendler remnants at the end of June.

The demolition is expected to last months, said Daniel Stoltzfus, CEO of Helping Up Mission.

The nonprofit is set to build an outdoor recreational space that will include a walking and running trail, a space for athletic activities and gatherings for the 2,500 men, women and families whom the nonprofit serves each year, Stoltzfus said. He said the building’s history will be memorialized with commemorative markers and by incorporating original brick into the hardscaping.

The recreational space will also be open to host events like graduations, the Jonestown Community Day and the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Shuffle, Stoltzfus said.

“[Hendler Creamery is] historic, but I’m happy it’s being torn down,” said Scott Cooper, a Jonestown resident, on Tuesday. “Helping Up Mission is going to do the right thing with it by building something for the community.”

The building was initially built in 1892 and previously served as a cable car powerhouse and a Yiddish language theater. Hendler Creamery then purchased the building in 1912 to continue the company’s expansion. The ice cream company built its name in Baltimore before New Jersey food company Borden acquired it in 1928.

Despite the history, the preservation panel did not see a way to salvage the building. The building doesn’t have a roof, while rain and time ate away at the structure.

“This site is a visible metaphor for our work—HUM recognizes the deferred hope of the community wanting to see development as it sat vacant for the past seven years,” Stoltzfus said in an emailed statement.