The structure, considered a historic landmark because it once was home to the city's first Puerto Rican property owner, was severely damaged by fire in June.

It also sits in the northeast footprint of the new Jettie Tisdale School, which is under construction in the city's East End.

George Estrada, the city's public facilities director, said he is drafting a letter to the council, asking permission to move forward with demolishing the structure.

The council meets at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the South Congregational Church Parish in Hartford. The discussion of Eagle's Nest is slated for 10.

"At this point, there are serious issues with the safety of the structure itself. It requires some extensive stabilization," Estrada said.

He said the state Historic Preservation Commission has offered the city $25,000 to help secure and move the structure from 282-284 Logan St. to a corner of the school property where it will not be in the way of the school's construction. Estimates the city has received have put the cost of relocating the building at $170,000.

Moving Eagle's Nest would require taking off the top level, stabilizing the remaining structure, wrapping it in a canvas shrink wrap, then lifting it onto a mechanism that could transport it across the property, where it would be parked on blocks.

Simply bulldozing the structure would cost about $40,000 to $50,000, Estrada said.

"I think the [state] board recognizes the importance of preserving structures of significance, but they deal in realities, too. We made a best faith effort, but it's cost-prohibitive," Estrada said.

Beyond the temporary move, Estrada said the state would face additional cost to move and reconstruct the building at a permanent site.

Paul Loether, director of the state's Historic Preservation Division, said the council will discuss the matter Wednesday and is looking forward to what the city has to say.

He is uncertain, however, if the council will act on the matter Wednesday and said he is not prepared to make a recommendation at this present time.

"We need to know more," he said.

Loether said the state sent a structural engineer to inspect Eagle's Nest and has offered the city what he said is sufficient funding to cover the additional cost incurred to stabilize the building because of fire damage.

Loether added other sources of revenue the city could have tapped have "come and gone" since discussions on the fate of the building began.

Estrada said the city has not been successful in securing any other funding to move the two-story, 22-room structure.

Built in 1828 by Edward Johnson, the grandson of William S. Johnson, a signer of the U.S. Constitution, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1844, the house was sold to Joseph de Rivera, a sugar and wine merchant who moved to Bridgeport from Puerto Rico. He owned the house 14 years before moving to Toledo, Ohio.

In June, a fire destroyed the roof, a back porch and charred one side of the vacant structure.

Meanwhile, Estrada said the location of the structure is already causing construction delays.

"If we reach the second week in February, the fiscal impact to the [school] project will be somewhere around $150,000," Estrada said.

So far, he said the impact has not affected the school's projected opening in January 2008.

But, Estrada added, "If the situation continues, it will."