MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) — A southern Illinois city will help partially demolish a historic shoe factory.

Mayor Will Stephens says Murphysboro will lend roughly $50,000 to the owner of the old Brown Shoe site. The goal is to demolish portions that are unsafe and erect a fence around the property.

The building is more than 100 years old. Brown Shoe employed hundreds of people and produced thousands of shoes a week, including Buster Brown footwear.

The mayor tells The Southern Illinoisan that safety concerns are increasing every day, especially with the effects of weather. Stephens says the work will be done by Rawson Excavating of Murphysboro.