Stonington — The Board of Selectmen has approved a plan to spend $9,750 to help the owner of the former Campbell Grain Building in downtown Pawcatuck market the site to potential developers.

The funding will allow the Economic Development Commission to hire Azzinaro Larson Architects of Westerly to develop a conceptual design plan and 3D model for the now vacant 2-acre property at the end of Coggswell Street.

First Selectman Rob Simmons said the conceptual plan and model will create interest in the property and provide an incentive for a developer to buy it “because, in its current state, it’s not very attractive to buy.”

He said the plan and model also will answer questions about what can be done with the site, saving a developer time and effort in determining a use.

Simmons called the EDC’s idea to undertake the effort an “ingenious proposal.” The town will use money from the EDC budget, along with a $3,000 grant from the Washington Trust Co., located just across the Pawcatuck River in downtown Westerly, to fund the work.

Simmons said the fact a bank in Westerly is helping finance the work shows how important the redevelopment of this property in Pawcatuck is to the two-town, two-state downtown.

Last summer, the owner of the dilapidated building, Frank DeCiantis of Virginia, completed its demolition after the town proposed to do the work, place a lien on the property and possibly foreclose on it.

DeCiantis had begun the demolition in 2016 and was financing the work by selling the posts and beams recycled from the building. But after 80 percent of the structure was taken down, DeCiantis found that there was no more salvage value in taking down the rest, so the work ceased. He told town officials at the time he did not have the money to complete the demolition.

The town also has a $77,000 lien on the property for work it did to demolish a section of the building damaged in 2011 by Hurricane Irene.

Town officials hope that removing the building will make the parcel more attractive to a developer and remove a fire hazard. Simmons said DeCiantis does not have the money to market the riverfront site, so the town is assisting with the conceptual plan and model. He said it is in the town’s interest to see the site redeveloped for residential or commercial use, as that would bring in much more tax revenue than the current $109,000 assessment.

The EDC also has discussed building a bridge over the river to link the end of Coggswell Street with thriving downtown Westerly. There is no funding as of yet to do that.

j.wojtas@theday.com