The borough is taking the next step in redeveloping a site on Gaston Avenue for a new emergency services headquarters.
The borough council authorized on Monday the demolition of the vacant building at 101 Gaston Ave., formerly a restaurant and office building.
The borough decided to raze the building, Mayor Dennis Sullivan said, because part of the roof started to collapse.
Somerville bought the 1.77-acre property for $1.4 million in 2018.
The borough is developing plans for the new emergency services building, Sullivan said, studying how much space is needed for the police and fire departments and how much parking is required.
The police department is housed in an old brewery on South Bridge Street and the fire department is divided among three firehouses, one of which is prone to flooding.
For decades, the borough has wrestled how to consolidate emergency services serving the 2.3-square-mile borough in a single location.
"As our town grows, our emergency services grow," Sullivan said.