The Sphar building may have another shot at a future.

While the city commissioners already voted to demolish the 130-year-old, 27,000 square foot seed warehouse on Main Street, Monday they voted to explore the possibility of a scaled-down project to preserve part of the building.

Winchester City Manager Matt Belcher said he had been working with a local committee and meeting with state officials to find a way to use the $1 million state transportation enhancement grant. The plan unveiled Monday night would preserve about one-third of the building, including part of the walls along North Main and Depot streets, for a welcome center and office space.

The remainder of the building would be torn down.

“What’s being contemplated is to … retain the full amount of the $1 million, redesign the project quickly to preserve the 1880 building core,” Belcher said. “It’s basically reducing the square footage by three-fourths.”

The city had about $2 million secured for the project, between grants and pledges. The project stalled with the bids came in around $3 million. The county voted to return a $500,000 community development block grant it received for the project, and reversed another pledge of $50,000 from the previous county attorney’s excess fees.

Belcher said the city has about $1.25 million, and architect Jon Rollins said he believed it would be enough for the smaller project.

Belcher said demolishing the entire building could cost between $250,000 and $400,000.

“This alternative contemplates keeping the $1 million and having a part of the original structure with no more additional funds,” Belcher said.

If the bids are higher than the available funds, the city commission would have another tough decision to make, Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner said.

“This commission just completed the second full day of budget discussions,” he said. “That budget assumes substantially higher pension. We simply don’t have the money.”

Belcher said the funds for demolition would have to come from the general fund, if the entire building has to be torn down. The building is in poor structural condition and had several roof collapses during the winter of 2017-18.

Still, many believe the project is still worthwhile.

“I think it’s worth rebidding if it’s a third of the original building,” City Commissioner Kitty Strode said.

“I think it is a truly iconic building downtown,” Winchester-Clark County Tourism Director Nancy Turner said. “It’s our last agricultural facility in downtown.”

“It’s one of the most historic buildings we have left,” local historian Harry Enoch said. “Let’s save a little of it.”

In other action, the commissioners:

— approved street closures for events on June 29 and October 5.

— named Michelle Lucas as the city’s interim finance director.

— approved the second reading of an ordinance about public rights-of way.

— approved the resignation of Frank Johnson from the administrative hearing board, provided he submits a written letter of resignation.

— appointed Larry Long to fill Johnson’s unexpired term on the administrative hearing board.

— awarded a bid of $8,180 to Houston Contracting to demolish a structure at 109 Kentucky St.

— awarded a bid of $7,600 to Houston Contracting to demolish a structure at 63 Clay St.

— accepted the resignation of Gary Newman, communications officer III.