The dilapidated Katama Airfield hanger in Edgartown will be officially demolished over the next two weeks, town administrator James Hagerty informed selectmen at a meeting Tuesday.

Voters decided during the 2019 town meeting to appropriate $950,000 for the demolition, engineering and construction of a new hanger at the historic airfield. Members of the Katama Airfield commission have also privately fundraised approximately $175,000 to fund other aspects of the project. The current hangar dates back to World War II.

The decision to appropriate funds came after a similar, 2018 town meeting decision was overturned in a deadlocked, 468-468 ballot box vote needed to approve a proposition 2 1/2 override.

But after successfully appropriating the funds in 2019, construction on the new hangar was slated to move forward earlier this year. Mr. Hagerty said on Tuesday that the project got slowed down because of the pandemic and subsequent construction moratorium.

Both Mr. Hagerty and the town select board expressed enthusiasm about the project finally moving forward. Bids for the new hangar will be opened on Sept. 18, Mr. Hagerty said.

“That hangar has been there a good amount of time, and will be demolished in the next two weeks to make way for what the town approved when the town appropriated a year and a half ago,” Mr. Hagerty said. “So I think it’s good news the project is coming full circle.”