ST. PAUL — Demolition has begun at a historic church in St. Paul.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports an excavator began demolishing the former St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in the Como Park neighborhood about noon Tuesday.

Neighbors and preservationists had fought the demolition. But those who wanted to save the 92-year-old church were unable to provide a $1.9 million bond to the Twin Cities German Immersion School, or have it waived. The school owns the church and is razing it to build a new addition.

School officials say it could take the rest of the week to finish demolition.